Demons & Angels
by Clouded-Days
Summary: AU. Ryou's an angel and Bakura's a demon. It's forbidden and against the rules to even associate with Others not the same as you. But during the war, Bakura and Ryou meet, and slowly get to know each other... COMPLETE!
1. War & The Beginning

Wow, another story. I wasn't going to post this one until later, but I'm now really enjoying the way this is turning out. And for once, it's a non-horror story. -Insert gasp here- Hope you enjoy!

Note: Malik is the good half.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

The area was filled with screams and cries. Many were motionless, some with arrows pierced through their bleeding bodies others decorated with wounds.

Ryou's eyes panned over the scene, watching them as they fought. He scowled slightly as someone crashed down close to him, chest slit and oozing blood. But he was beyond repair; his eyes were already fogging up.

He had no specialty in fighting. He could use arrows, but most could. It wasn't anything special to participate in archery, other than being insanely skilled at it. But he did have something he was good at.

He was a healer.

Ryou's scowl deepened as he watched the war continue. Demons against angels again, as usual…

"Ryou. Hey, look alive!"

He flinched, moving to the right as an arrow thudded into the soft ground where his leg just was. His eyes rose, and he cocked his head to one side. "Malik?"

The other boy dropped down next to Ryou, breathing rather heavy. Ryou's chocolate eyes caught the blood that seeped between his curled fingers.

"You're hurt…"

Malik merely gave a slight grin. "I'll be fine," he replied, merely ripping a bandage from the roll that sat on the ground, wrapping it tightly about the slash on his shoulder. He then stood up, running back into the battle.

"Try not to space out as much!"

Ryou blinked, watching the others. His eyes caught a spot where several were grouped together. Then there were more screams than normal.

His eyes glided over the battle, finding several angels suddenly collapsing. He sat in silence as a sudden laughter echoed through the area.

He found him as demon.

Ryou's eyes caught another. He had black wings that were folded close, constantly slaying angels as well as demons. Confusion found its way in. If he was a demon, why was he killing those on his side? He almost hated to admit it, but Ryou was rather impressed.

_Sword. Must be talented. There aren't many that can fight like that._

Ryou swallowed as he watched the demon grow closer and closer towards him, eventually dropping down next to Ryou on the sidelines. Ryou watched him blankly as he merely wiped the blood off the weapon on his jeans. The blood left long streaks of red behind. Ryou nearly winced aloud as he watched the demon lift his shirt slightly. There was a wound that sliced through his side, oozing blood. He looked around slightly, and spotting the roll of bandages, ripped a section off, tying it easily about that and others wounds that bled.

Without even looking up, he directed his voice to Ryou. "…What are you staring at?"

"N-Nothing," Ryou stammered, flinching at his tone, which was hard and evil-like.

There was a long silence, but to Ryou's surprise, the demon broke it.

"Why aren't you on the battlefield? What, you can't fight?"

Ryou bowed his head and replied in a low tone, "…I can do archery, but almost everyone can, so…"

"Then what _can_ you do?"

"I can heal…"

Silence.

"…Then…I'm guessing you have a specialty in swords?" Ryou asked.

"Yeah."

"You're…really good, but…if you're a demon, why are you killing the angels _and _the demons?"

"I have no side. I may be a demon, but I protect no one but myself."

More silence. Ryou glanced at the demon beside him. He looked perfectly calm, no emotions, unworried, almost uncaring. And he didn't look like he was in pain at all.

"…Quit staring at me."

"Sorry…"

Ryou's eyes opened wide as the demon gave him a glare, almost like a wanting to kill. Instantly the edge of the sword was against Ryou's throat.

"One reason you can't fight, kid. You're soft." The other dropped his weapon, scowling. "You haven't even killed anyone before, have you?"

"…No…"

"Bakura, incoming!"

The other lowly growled, merely dodging the arrow that suddenly whizzed past his head, burying itself into the ground beside him.

_Then his name is Bakura?_

Ryou then noticed the similarity in their looks. White hair, brown eyes, only the demons were darker, and his hair was wilder. Their clothes were strangely similar, both had wings, but they were different colors.

"Ryou, move!"

Ryou quickly moved to one side, his eyes suddenly snapping open wide with pain. He suddenly collapsed, near screaming, arrow protruding from his bleeding back. He gasped aloud in pain, feeling blood travel down his spine. _How? How can he not be in pain?_

He pressed a shaky arm to the ground, trying to lift himself. His eyes met the demons dark, piercing ones as his arm broke from under him. He fell back onto the ground, vision suddenly blurring slightly. He heard the snarl of "Hold still."

Pain sliced through, much sharper. He screamed in pain, feeling blood suddenly bubble out and race down.

A grip appeared on his shoulders, rough but easily sitting him upright. Ryou curled his fingers over the bleeding area on the back of his shoulder. His eyes met the dark set of the demon, who was clutching an arrow in one hand that dripped with blood.

"You need to pay more attention."

Ryou bit his lip, watching the demon rip a bandage from the roll, trying the bandage on the wound.

"Thank you," Ryou murmured, "but…why are you helping _me_?"

The demon merely blinked at him, followed by a long silence.

"Then…your name is Bakura?"

"Humph." Standing, the demon merely went back onto the battlefield, drawing his weapon, without a backwards glance.

* * *

Others had teamed up, a combination of demons and angels. They formed a circle, the demon from earlier caught in the center. Yet his expression remained unchanging and dark.

They then charged, Ryou watching from the sidelines.

The demon merely fought them off, stabbing and landing blows to chests. Several fell, and for ones taller than him; slitting a few throats, stabbing through chests, then merely pushing them away.

Blood splattered, bodied falling, then fading instantly, leaving behind feathers at the most.

But they began to slowly overtake him.

Ryou watched as he tried to kill them all, but they grouped. Ryou's eyes widened as a stab from another came through the demons back, right between the wings. More and more damage, and then he fell to the ground. The others merely left him on the ground, continuing to fight with others.

Ryou, quickly but silent, went up to the abandoned spot where the demon lay. He breathed heavily, blood bubbling from several places. As gently as possible, Ryou took his arms, and lifted him from the ground, putting him on his back, and carried him back onto the sidelines.

Ryou, without a word, began to bandage. Stab wounds and puncture wounds from arrows were all over his body. Ryou ripped out the arrows as easily as he could, merely tossing them aside.

But there was one wound he couldn't bandage.

It was in his chest. A large, gaping wound in the middle of his chest; the flesh had been slit. The weapon had then been twisted, creating an even worse wound. If he patched it up, the demon would most likely die. The wound was bleeding way too much and too quickly.

The demon opened his eyes slowly, looking at Ryou blankly at first. "…What are you doing?"

Ryou swallowed, shutting his eyes. He put his fingers, which were shaking like mad, against the wound, feeling blood surge. Slowly, a bluish light came, flowing from Ryou's fingers and into the wound. The wound slowly stopped bleeding, and finally sealed itself.

Ryou suddenly wobbled, collapsing onto the ground, which was stained with blood. He breathed heavily, tired.

"…Hey. Hey, kid. What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing…it's…just that your…your wound took a lot to heal…"

"You used some of your strength to heal me? You idiot, I'm not even on your side!"

Ryou flinched as his face came close to the demons, eyes dark with a certain rage. "But…but your wound…it was bleeding too much…you wouldn't have lived…"

"STILL!"

"I…I'm sorry…I just…"

Ryou's eyes shut suddenly, body limping falling forward. The demon blinked at him, shaking him violently, stopping as he realized the boy had lost consciousness. He set him down on the ground, suddenly noticing how much paler his face had gotten since earlier.

_He gave this much for me? The kid doesn't even know me…and I don't even know him… _

* * *

It's against the rules to heal others not inside your type. For example, angels were forbidden to heal demons, and vice versa. It's also against rules to associate with Others. That's often how wars started between angels and demons. It was even more common for angels and demons not to have anything in common; to often argue. The rules dealing with Others, if broken, were often high in punishment, death at times.

And Ryou had just broken several.

Ryou had participated in several demon/angel wars, yet that swirling mix of emotions that was often present wasn't there when he was close to this one named Bakura. He strangely didn't hate or fear him.

Ryou's eyes flickered as he returned. His body felt strangely heavy, and he heard a voice from behind. "Are you awake now, kid?"

His eyes roamed, meeting the eyes of the demon. Ryou propped himself up on shaky arms, managing to sit upright. His back thumped with pain.

"You just fell over."

"Sorry…I normally don't pass out like that. But wounds like that take a lot of healing magic…and I guess it wound up sucking it right out…"

Silence.

"…How old are you?"

"What?" Ryou asked, surprised.

"I said how old are you?"

"…Sixteen…why? What about you?"

The demon hesitated at first. "…I kind of…lost count after five thousand…"

"Are you serious? Five _thousand_?"

"Uh-huh."

"But you don't look that age…"

"I know." He paused. "…What about family?"

"I don't really know. Mum and my sister died a long time ago; I remember a little about them. I don't know about Father though. You?"

"Humph. Murdered. Them and everyone within distance…ninety-nine out of the one hundred were killed. I was little back then."

"Then…you're the only survivor?"

"Yeah."

The two sat in silence. The demon broke it, to Ryou's surprise.

"What's your name, kid?"

"What? Oh. I'm Ryou."

"Ryou?"

"Yes."

* * *

Chapter 1 : End.

Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you guys think!

Chapter 2 coming soon!


	2. Suspicion & Bakura's Past

Well, I really like the way this is going so far. I thank those that are reading/reviewed the previous chapter.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Daylight was fading, night appearing. Several that were on the field most of the day were trading places with others. Ryou was sitting cross-legged on the ground. He had done repairs an hour or so ago.

Ryou flopped down onto his back. His eyes roamed, staring up at the sky. _They always say once you're killed…you cease to exist. But what about all those rumors about some that are killed, but reappear in another place, in another life? I wonder what's like…a place other than this one…_

Ryou merely continued staring up at the sky, eyes flickering. His eyes shut, and he drifted into slumber.

The demon from before came off the field, scanning the darkened area. He saw Ryou's form lying on the ground, and went over to him.

"…Kid? Hey…" He prodded him with his foot, but Ryou's form didn't stir. _Must be asleep._

Bakura sat down next to him, flopping onto his back. _This is strange. There's something different about this kid. He has an aura…not an evil one, but…I can just feel this…power when I get close to him. Not only that…but the boy looks just like me. That's a sign. It's not common for two different kinds to look the same…_

The demon blinked in the dark, looking over at the motionless Ryou. _Huh. Why does his face look so much…paler? I mean he was pale when he was awake, but…his skin is deathly white now. And earlier…when he healed me…he fainted, and his face paled. Weird. And he has white wings. That's even stranger. Not very many have white wings._

…_I need to find out more about this boy. _

* * *

Ryou stirred, coming back from his sleep. He glanced around, morning sunlight pouring over the area. He squinted, rolling onto his stomach, only to freeze at the sight of the demon lying beside him, who was motionless in a deep sleep.

Quietly, Ryou forced himself upright, giving a glance around, eyes then going back to the demon. He almost looked…innocent. Ryou flinched slightly as he shifted position, rolling onto his back. He gave a slight twitch-like movement, eyes slowly easing open.

Silently, he sat up, eyes narrowed as the sunlight hit them. He merely groaned slightly and brushed the bangs out of his face before flopping back down onto his back. Their gazes locked for a second, and Ryou looked away.

_Wait. That aura… I wonder…_

"Turn around."

"What?"

"I said turn around."

Ryou blinked at him, but did so. His entire body twitched as Bakura untied the bandage from his shoulder.

_Strange. There's barely even a wound left…no normal person could have wounds heal that quickly, and it's obvious he was too exhausted to heal himself. This boy…_

Silently, Bakura merely let him go. Ryou felt at his shoulder, and Bakura took notice of the blank look on his face.

"You didn't need a new bandage. Your wound is basically gone."

There was a long silence. Bakura groaned as his name was called; he stood, near dragging himself back onto the battlefield. Ryou merely watched him go.

_I'm guessing he's not a morning person. _

* * *

It was late afternoon; another period in Ryou's schedule for repairs. He held the end of the bandage in his teeth before he finished tying it about the wound. "There. But really, Malik; you always seem to get hurt during this time. And you actually got off pretty easy this time; any further and that could've caused some major problems for you."

"Nah, I'd live. But thanks." He jumped to his feet, merely running off. _Sometimes I think that guy has absolutely no common sense…_

Ryou noticed Bakura, coming off the field, flopping down next to Ryou. Ryou took notice off the many wounds that lined his body that had appeared since early this morning. But without asking for help, the demon merely took the bandages from the ground and began to repair his injuries.

Ryou took notice of the damage on his wings. They were tattered and cut, blood smeared across the dark feathers. There was a spot on the left side; there was a piece missing from the wing, and blood oozed from the spot. Bakura's eyes never rose from his work.

"…So you noticed?"

"Yes…it…looks like it hurt…"

"It did when it first happened…but not anymore."

"It happened today?"

"Yes."

"Hold still." Bakura glanced at him as Ryou put his hands to the bleeding area of the wing. The same blue light flowed from his fingertips to the wound; the wound was gone, the wing whole again.

Silence. Bakura looked at the wing, and then at Ryou, then blinked. Surprisingly, Ryou smiled slightly. "It wasn't that hard. Wings are easy to heal when you get the hang of it."

"…Right…"

* * *

Ryou was already in a deep sleep by the time Bakura returned from the battlefield. He scowled, seeing Ryou curled up on the ground, wings pulled close to his body.

He dropped down next to him, seeing Ryou suddenly roll over, expression uneasy. He tossed and turned for a while, Bakura merely watching for a few minutes. But he slowly went still, now on his back, the normal, peaceful look once again printed across his face.

Bakura, silent, flopped down beside him. _I can feel it. It's getting stronger…and he's having nightmares. Then what I've thought is true. This boy may be another one of them…_

_He has a strong aura when he's asleep. And he just gets so pale…_

_Everything should become clear soon… _

* * *

Ryou awoke with a start that morning. His breath was coming and going sharply, and he gasped out. He ran a hand through his hair, beads of sweat decorating his neck.

_What was that? It looked so real…_

He glanced upwards; the sky looked gloomy, filled with clouds, threatening rain. He frowned slightly, seeing the demon asleep next to him, sleeping upon his back. Ryou shook him lightly; Bakura awoke slowly, opening one eye in annoyance.

"Why aren't you on the field?"

"Because I have the night shift tonight. Now will you let me sleep?"

"Sorry…"

Bakura rolled onto his side with a groan, shutting his eyes. The silence between them didn't last long.

"Umm…Bakura?"

"_What_?" His tone proved that he was growing beyond annoyed.

"…Do you…believe all those rumors? About another life…and those things called dreams?"

"I don't know about the whole "another life" thing but…I believe in dreams. Nightmares are real too."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me, I know."

Silence again. Ryou broke it.

"…I think it's stupid how they don't allow us to associate with one another. I mean…not everyone argues. Some of us can get along with Others, right?"

"I guess…"

Ryou turned away, eyes rising towards the sky. "…I don't always want to stay here. I want to see if that world really exists; another place…where maybe they won't kill you for merely talking to someone who isn't the same as you."

* * *

Bakura returned to the sidelines late that night. Everyone was already asleep. He flopped down, bandaging the many wounds that lined his body. The blood seemed to glow in the darkness.

When he finished he merely flopped down on the ground, next to Ryou. But his ears kept hearing this strange sound…

He sat up, looking about. He saw Ryou curled up; he leaned closer, soon figuring out that he was the source of the noise.

As gently as possible, Bakura moved the boy's arms away. Ryou remained asleep. As he moved his arms the wings attached to Ryou spread slightly on the ground. Bakura moved the bangs that hung over Ryou's eyes, freezing at the sight of tears racing down Ryou's paled cheeks.

…_Something's wrong. It's probably a nightmare…even though the kid says he's not sure if they're real…_

Ryou whimpered softly, turning over, tears trickling. The demon sighed aloud. "…You're not the only one who wants to leave this place, kid…I want to find that other world as well."

Pulling his legs up to his chest, Bakura merely stared out at the battlefront. He heard a noise; he glanced over to see Ryou sitting up. "…You have no idea how long these wars have dragged on…and they're always the same! Demon against angel… So many die, and it's all for nothing…"

He paused, seeing Ryou focused entirely upon him.

"…I took up the sword when I was old enough to pick it up without any difficulty. The heavy ones…I was younger than you when that started. Years of being a loner, a victim of war brought me extra experience. I had no friends growing up. We had to steal to survive…we lived on one another. And then _they_ came. They slaughtered every single one but me. But I didn't cry over the death. I wanted revenge instead…"

He heard Ryou swallow uneasily. Bakura gave a sigh and continued.

"And that want for revenge…to kill those who killed my own…it pushed me onward. It was the only thing that kept me alive: the lust to avenge them…

"I merely wandered at first. I had to ask for directions every time I came to a village. Of course…they took pity on me. A runaway boy…nothing in possession but my sword, the clothes I wore…nothing else.

"I was inhuman. I had no heart…I knew nothing of emotions. I had never loved, or felt that anyone had loved me. I don't even know if my own parents loved me or not. But I didn't care. I kept going…

"The road was long. I was ambushed constantly; I was nearly killed several times. I had to fight to live. I wound up killing so often…blood was always on my blade…decorating my hands…

"And one night…the moon was full. I don't remember how old I was; but my wings appeared that night. I awoke to find the area brightened with moonlight…and pain shot up my spine. My back began to bleed…and my wings came without any interruptions. I wound up collapsing, bloody and panting.

"I had to learn everything on my own. How to fly, to control my wings, other things… But none of it was easy for me. I kept using my sword as a weapon. My skill grew…and then when I arrived in a town…a war started.

"To earn my keep, I had to fight with the rest. I think I was your age at the time. I was actually better than most of my team. We wound up winning the battle. I was praised- which I hated- but at least I was fed for my efforts.

"I wandered through towns. I wasn't welcome in the angel villages; even some demon ones didn't allow me to enter. But I didn't care. I was used to being pushed away and being given stares.

"I eventually stopped roaming. I came to a village…an angel village. I entered despite everything I learned. People from other villages told me about the Other rules; but I didn't really care. I found that the village was rich in fruit trees…and I found an abandoned place to live in. But I had to hide my face from society; I was a demon, and by my wings, everyone knew.

"But one day there was an attack on the village. I risked being thrown out and went with the others to fight. But I was the youngest and smallest out there…

"I was hit, along with a punch to my jaw. I was sent to the ground. I tried to get up, but I was kicked…several times. My body ached and was bleeding. I scrambled, trying to stand up and fight back. My sword was still in my hands; I was ready… But as I staggered upright…a blow came to me from behind. I collapsed instantly, losing blood insanely fast.

"I awoke later, seeing faces hovering over me. Angels. But as I sat up, they all moved back, fearful of me. I merely stared at them. I sighed. I told them… _"None of you could possibly understand me. Fear me if you want. I didn't try…I don't want to hurt you. But you don't believe me, do you? Because I'm a demon… Just because I'm not just like you…!"_ And they all stared at me with wide eyes. I gave them all glares and stood, despite the throbbing pain in my back. I was still bleeding. None of them had the guts to touch me…to bandage my wound. I was furious. I was bitter with some indescribable feeling…

"Life went on. My wings grew, and my skill as a swordsman only expanded more and more. I kept a bitter taste about everything and everyone. My life dragged on, further and further. And eventually, I wound up coming here for the war…

"You were the only one to use my name…I used to hate my name so much. No one ever used it. My name slowly became a foggy memory. My past is in a mist…all the pictures are smudged. I'm unable to remember names, dates, faces, and locations…none of it mattered.

"But you…you treated me different. Like…like I was one of you. Not just some demon. You aren't like the others…you actually…didn't jump to a conclusion. And you didn't even know me…but you helped me anyway.

"And I'm going to repay you for that…to prove my thanks."

* * *

Chapter 2 : End.

Thanks to those that read! Please review and tell me what you think!


	3. Nightmares & Ryou's Past

Well, here's the next chapter. Thanks to those that are still with me on this!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

"No. You don't have to do anything. Besides, you helped me first. It was the least I could do."

Silence.

"Anyway, it's late. Go to sleep…"

"…All right," Bakura replied with a sigh.

* * *

It was raining when Ryou awoke that morning. But he was completely dry. He gave a look around, finding himself under a sort of shelter, still on the sidelines, but out of the rain. He saw Bakura approach, sitting down next to him.

His hair was heavy with rainwater, clothes sticking to his body. He scowled, grabbing his hair and twisting it slightly. Water poured out, forming a small puddle.

"…Bakura? Can I…can I ask you something?"

"Yeah…?"

"…Umm…you remember…how we talked about dreams…?"

"What about it?"

"…What are dreams and nightmares like…?"

Bakura sighed, leaning back slightly. "It's not the easiest thing to explain. But they happen while you sleep. Vivid forms that flow through your consciousness…

"Dreams are usually hopeful forms, happy things…flowing, colored pictures that run like a film. Nightmares are quite the opposite. Haunting images…black and white or color…usually about tragedy or other bad situations. And not all of them are real; but they could be signs of your future.

"And then after a nightmare…you snap back into your body. Your heart beats furiously, your mind spins…you breathe heavily, and sweat trickles down your throat. You know it was just a figment of your mind. It wasn't real. But yet it looked so much like the real world about you."

"…H…How do you know, though?"

"…Because I dream," Bakura replied, seeing the sudden startled expression that covered Ryou's face. "…You don't believe me, do you?"

"…I…I think I do…"

"You _think_?"

"I…I'm not sure. I mean, what I've heard so far have only been rumors… Besides, you're a whole different class. Maybe those things depend on what your type is?"

Ryou waited, silent. But Bakura never responded. It was a long time before the demon said anything. Ryou blinked at him, then lowered his gaze. He didn't speak for a long time, but started in a low voice.

"…Mum was angel. My father had a job; I don't know what. We didn't talk much. I don't know what class Father was in; he never had wings. My sister died along with my mother in an accident. Father wasn't anywhere to be seen the day they died.

"I can remember it…mum and my sister were lying there. _"Don't go…please, don't leave!" _I told them. But mum merely smiled…and shut her eyes. I grabbed her arm…but she never woke up…

"But the people said that she lived longer than expected. Later that day…I could feel this _thing_ inside of me. Like a sense…a power… But I didn't know what it was.

"I discovered my healing abilities one day. There was…I think it was a duck, in my yard. It was hurt…

"It didn't want me to touch it. I noticed that it was bleeding, and its wing was torn up. But as I picked it up…a light flowed right out of my hands. The bleeding area…it just stopped bleeding…and sealed. And as I stood there, the wing slowly healed. It returned to normal… The duck didn't even seem hurt anymore…so I let it go. And it merely left as if nothing had ever happened to it.

"I took a look into what happened. I found some books in Father's room that described incidents similar to what just happened. I soon found out about my healing abilities.

"I had never used my power on people. But my neighbor was shot one day as rough fighting between demons and angels started. I gently helped them up; but that light came again. A blue light…it came out of my hands. The bullet wound healed. But I learned later that the person died because the bullet had pierced their heart…

"I used my power more and more, and slowly, I could heal bigger and worse injuries. Someone bet me one day that I couldn't heal the injury they had. I was only about eleven at the time. The person was angel. Their wings had been completely hacked off, leaving fragments and a small bit still attached to their back.

"I used up so much of my strength…I thought I was going to fail at any minute; to fall over and faint. But I pushed on. Luckily the person didn't have full-grown wings. That would've caused a big problem. But I won the bet.

"I was sent to several places for starting wars. But they faded. This is actually the second war I've been in…"

Bakura was silent at first.

"After mum died and dad left…things only went downhill, further and further. The money eventually ran out. I had to get my own job when I was only ten. But I was let go and sent to somewhere else because my healing abilities were found out.

"When they put me with others for the wars…I was constantly picked on. About my age…about my hair…but what made me snap…was what they said about my family…and my mother… I loved my mother more than anything.

"I snapped. The boy I brought down was at least fifteen. I remember screaming at him, punching his lights out. _"TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT ALL BACK!"_ I was ripped off of him. I caused a lot of damage for a boy less than twelve.

"I slowly became lonely. I felt isolated and left out… But I met a few guys one day during break. I guess we just became friends… But we eventually lost contact. The only one I still have anything to do with is Malik. But other than Malik, none of them truly understood me. They weren't exactly what I'd call "true" friends."

He heard Bakura mutter something, but didn't bother to ask.

* * *

Ryou didn't go to sleep until late that night. Bakura awoke from his slumber, glancing to his right to find Ryou's body trembling. _Nightmares._

Bakura grumbled, running a hand through his hair. He shifted, looming over Ryou, holding him down. _Let's see what's been bothering you…_

He put his hands on Ryou's shoulders, closing his eyes. Ryou's low cries became nothing but silence.

His eyes became the window to it all.

"_Mum…what's happening? Why isn't Amane answering me?"_

"_Ryou…" The voice sounded pained and weak. "Amane…isn't doing so well…"_

"_What do you mean? She'll turn out to be okay, right?"_

"_No, honey…"_

"_W…What…?" No answer. "Amane?" Still no answer…_

"_No…"_

_He screamed, grabbing both of their hands involuntarily. The only thing was a cold touch. He let go, screaming again, tears racing down paled cheeks. He crouched down on the floor, hands drawn over his ears. "It's not real…it's not happening! They…they…"_

"_Ryou. Ryou!"_

_He was pulled to his feet, but he snapped away. "Ryou…we know you're upset, but there wasn't anything we-"_

"_SHUT UP!" Ryou screamed. His eight-year-old voice rose almost as high as it could go. He looked back at the motionless forms in the beds, white sheets drawn up to their chests. Ryou's eyes widened, more tears spilling over at the sight of blood soaking through the fabric._

_The hand tried to touch his shoulder again. Ryou pulled away, running up to the beds. He started shaking them, tears rocketing down his face._

"_THEY CAN'T DIE! THEY JUST CAN'T!"_

_The hands appeared again, seizing his shoulders. But he slapped them away, desperately shaking the bodies on the beds. "OPEN YOUR EYES! PLEASE!"_

_He gave up, sinking to the floor. He sat down, legs brought up to his chest, crying. He buried his head in his arms, body racked with sobs._

"…_Ryou…let me walk you home."_

Bakura's eyes eased open. _Now I understand…it's in between a dream and a nightmare. It's nothing but a memory…_

_It was so vivid. Then this boy has to be one of them. He not only dreams, but his dreams are on a high level. Maybe…_

But Ryou suddenly groaned; Bakura quickly moved away, sitting back down beside him. He glanced over to see Ryou's head roll to one side. Bakura heard him mumbling words in his sleep; he could hear him calling names.

Ryou didn't calm. Bakura watched him toss and turn, his face pale. He kept calling names. Bakura inched closer, trying to pry back into the memory but still dream. Ryou's fingers sunk into the soft fabric of his clothes as he continued to toss, sleep disturbed by the memory.

Bakura watched his body curve and his face twitch suddenly. Ryou's eyes eased open, filled with tears.

"…Hey…are you okay?"

Ryou flinched, quickly wiping his eyes. "Yes…yes, I'm fine…"

"…You were calling out in your sleep…their names…" Bakura paused, looking at Ryou. The boy kept his gaze firm on the ground, head turned away.

"…I need to talk to you in the morning…"

"…Why not now?"

"Don't question my reasons, kid. Now go back to sleep…"

Silently, Ryou lay back down, curling up. But the rest of the night, his dreams were filled with painful memories.

* * *

Ryou healed like he normally did that morning. Bakura came to the sidelines, snatching an apple from Ryou's bag, biting into it instantly. He noticed the look in Ryou's eyes.

After the others had left, Bakura sat down next to Ryou, munching on the fruit. "…What's the matter with you?"

"…Nothing…"

"You're lying. You look even blanker than you usual do. And your eyes tell it all, boy."

Ryou didn't respond. Instead Bakura pushed on. "…You were dreaming of the accident, weren't you? About them…"

Ryou didn't answer. Instead he stood up stiffly and walked away.

"Hey!"

Ryou didn't seem to acknowledge the response. Instead he merely kept walking, sighing as he walked. Bakura growled low, jumping up and running after him. "Didn't you hear me?"

He grabbed Ryou's shoulder, but the boy merely tugged free and bolted.

"HEY!"

Bakura darted after him. Ryou continued to run, but Bakura quickly caught up. He grabbed Ryou's shoulders and threw him to the ground.

"Get off of me!"

"Then tell me what's wrong with you!"

Ryou squirmed under Bakura's vice-like grip. Bakura froze; he saw tears in his eyes. And blood. His face was cut slightly from where Bakura had thrown him to the ground.

"…Just leave me alone…please…"

Ryou managed to scramble out. Bakura watched as Ryou ran, turning the corner and disappearing from view.

_Fine then. I don't need you to tell me. I'll find out tonight._

* * *

Chapter 3 : End.

Thanks for reading! Please review...


	4. Powers & Discoveries

Thanks to those that are still reading and to those that are reviewing! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

"Ryou? Hey! Are you in there?"

"…Hi Malik…"

"You don't sound very happy to see me," he pouted, sitting down next to Ryou, who merely continued to space out.

"…What's the matter? You don't look so good." Ryou was silent. "…Was it about them?" Malik asked quietly.

Ryou swallowed uneasily, resting his head on his knees, his legs brought up to his chest. "…It's all coming back. I never forgot them or anything but…but all the memories are just pouring back in…"

This time Malik was the quiet one, for a while anyway. "…There was a crash…right?"

"…Yeah…a car crash…" Ryou sighed.

"…I have to go, Ryou. But we can talk about this later if you want."

No response. Malik sighed and walked away, back onto the field.

Ryou tightened his grip on his knees, keeping his head down. _I did nothing to save them…why didn't I figure it own sooner? Why couldn't I heal them…?_

He started to cry again, not even noticing Bakura, who was looming over him. Bakura sat down beside him, scowling at Ryou. "Crying isn't going to solve anything, kid."

"What do you know?" Ryou replied quietly, shoulders now shaking. "Just go away…please…I just want to be alone right now…"

"Fine. Be that way."

Ryou heard him leave, merely sitting there, involved in his own thoughts.

* * *

Bakura opened his eyes, his hands still placed on Ryou's shoulders. Ryou whimpered in his sleep, starting to cry again. Bakura tightened his grip; but the dream inside Ryou's consciousness broke. The demon quickly released Ryou, sitting down beside him, watching him come groggily back to the present.

He saw tears travel down his cheeks.

"…You were dreaming about them again…weren't you?" Bakura questioned. He had been prying into Ryou's dreams for about a week so far. Ryou had finally confessed yesterday about his incidents during the night.

The smaller boy nodded slowly. Bakura sighed, taking Ryou's arm and dragging him upright. Ryou pulled his arm free immediately.

"…But just because they died so long ago…why is causing you so much anguish?"

"…It…it's not that…" Ryou choked out, his eyes downcast. "…When…when they were dying…I…I could've…saved them…but…but I didn't…do anything to help…"

"Ryou. You may have been able to heal them…but remember. You were only eight. Your healing magic probably wasn't that powerful yet. If you saw blood through the blanket, than that means that they were probably hurt badly. Even if you could've healed them…that doesn't mean you could've completely sealed the wounds. They could've lost too much blood. Even if you had healed them, they might've died anyway…"

He saw Ryou bury his head in his arms, which were resting on his knees. His body shook greatly, and Bakura could hear him crying.

Time passed, and eventually, Ryou had fallen back asleep. But Bakura remained awake, merely staring out into space.

"…_Umm…Bakura?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_You…remember the whole dream talk, right? I…I think I've…been having dreams…"_

"_I know. Dreams about them, right? It's a cross between a dream and a memory."_

"…_But how did you know?"_

"_Oh. Well…there's also more powers and classes than just dreaming, you know. Mine…I can see into another's dreams or consciousness. They call it Dreamreading. But the entire trick of it all is that the person has to be asleep. From what I've seen…you have another power. But I can't tell what it is yet."_

"_Then how can you tell I have another one?"_

"_You have all the qualities. Just trust me, okay? It should all become clear soon. And then when I figure it out, we can test it. And if I know how to use it, I can teach you. Then you can use it at will."_

* * *

"Ryou! Hey, get up!"

Ryou groaned, opening his eyes. No light came, but he saw Malik hovering over him. He sat up slowly.

"What is it?"

"…Look."

Ryou followed where Malik pointed. The sky was black, rain pouring down. He flinched as he heard a shot. He saw someone fall to the ground rather close by, chest bleeding. Another shot. Someone else collapsed.

Ryou followed the noise, looking to his right. _Bakura…_

The demon was perched on high ground. His face showed heavy concentration. His hair was soaked, bangs plastered to his forehead, hanging partially over his eyes. His jacket was coated with rainwater, his shirt sticking to his body.

Ryou watched him for a few minutes, seeing Bakura hold the gun tighter as he shot. Bakura looked right at him, a cold look in his eyes, and then looked away.

"Weren't you with that guy a few days ago?"

Ryou froze, his heart racing. "…No…"

"You're lying, Ryou. I can tell…"

"Please, Malik…don't tell anyone…"

"…Ryou…don't you realize what you've done?"

"But…but he's just like me…he just wants someone to understand who he really is…!"

"Then you've been with him for more than one day, right?" Malik sighed. "Look, Ryou. I won't tell, but if you get caught, you're on your own, all right?"

Ryou watched him leave. His eyes readjusted to where Bakura was, but he wasn't there. He jumped as a hand touched his shoulder.

"Who was that?"

"…Oh…umm…just a friend of mine…"

"_Oh."_

Bakura sat down, next to Ryou, out of the rain. He was scowling, and started to rummage through Ryou's bag.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"What? I'm hungry." Bakura replied with a frown.

"Fine," Ryou sighed.

* * *

"You know it's the first day of December, right?"

"Yeah. It's going to be cold…especially at night…"

Ryou pulled his jacket closer, feeling the sudden chill as the sun slowly began to go down. It had stopped raining long ago. The cold quickly appeared as the darkness did.

Ryou glanced to his left, seeing Bakura motionless, already asleep.

Ryou sat up, inching closer to Bakura. _Well…I guess I'll try…_

Taking a shaky breath, he placed his hands on Bakura's shoulders. Bakura groaned, head moving to one side. Ryou tightened his grip, closing his eyes.

Time passed. Ryou's eyes flashed open, and he quickly pushed himself away, his heart racing. _What…was that?_

Bakura moved, his eyes slowly opening. He sat up, looking at Ryou. "…What's the matter with you?"

Ryou swallowed, eyes downcast. _How am I supposed to tell him…?_

"Well…I…I tried to…umm…"

Bakura merely blinked at him, then sighed. "You tried to go into my dreams?"

"…Yes…"

"And? Did you see anything?"

Ryou nodded. "I…I didn't know…things were so bad…"

"Humph. But at least now we know that you may have the Dreamreading ability. Did the pictures seem blurry at all?"

"No…they were perfectly clear…"

"Then your power is probably powerful, since this is only your first time…" Bakura shifted position, now sitting on his knees. "Lie down."

"What?"

"Lie down. I want to test something."

Ryou hesitated, but did what Bakura said. He settled down on his back, staring nervously up at the demon that hovered over him. "Close your eyes."

Ryou did so, heart pounding anxiously. He could hear Bakura's voice. "Now tell me…can you feel anything inside of you?"

Ryou paused. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. _Wait…what is this…this feeling? _Pain suddenly shot itself through his chest; Ryou screamed, sitting bolt upright. His fingers curled about his chest, but felt no blood. He looked at Bakura, breathing heavily. "What did you do to me?"

"Well, I decided to test you, to see if you had another power. I just kept repeating a word inside my head, and asked you if you could feel anything. Apparently you do have another power, because you felt it."

Ryou shuddered, pulling his jacket closer. "Then what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure. I'll have to look into this…"

* * *

Ryou groaned, shivering as he sat upright. _It's cold…_

Ryou flinched as he felt something touch his shoulder. He looked upwards, seeing Bakura scowling at him. "It's about time you got up."

"Sorry…"

"Nah, it's okay. I have the night shift tonight. I wanted to show you something."

"…Okay?"

"Then come on," Bakura replied, turning and walking off.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Ryou yelled, quickly running off to catch up.

* * *

"It's not much farther."

"Positive?" Ryou replied, near gasping for breath after the experience of the day. He nearly bumped into Bakura as he stopped.

"There."

Ryou stood up to full height, peering over Bakura's shoulder. "Bakura, how did you find this place? You can see everything from up here!"

"Eh, just went exploring one day," Bakura replied with a shrug. "But you should see it when it rains…it's pretty cool, if you ask me."

Ryou stared off onto the landscape for a few minutes, and glanced upwards to see Bakura staring out as well, an almost blank look in his eyes. "…What do you think?" Bakura asked, not even looking at Ryou.

No answer.

Bakura turned, but Ryou didn't appear to notice or even hear. "Ryou?" Bakura asked, reaching out.

But Ryou's eyes suddenly grew blank, and his body fell forward. Bakura flinched, quickly grabbing Ryou before he collapsed. "Ryou! Can you hear me?"

No response.

Bakura sighed. _Either I have to wait out here with him, or sneak him back to camp… What should I do?_

Bakura bit his lip, noticing how Ryou was beginning to shiver greatly, his face beginning to drain even further of color.

…_I guess…since all he's done for me so far…it wouldn't kill me to take him back to camp…_

Bakura gently lifted Ryou from the ground, slipping the boy onto his back, and started to head back to the battle site.

* * *

Chapter 4 : End.


	5. Power Situation & Arguements

Sorry it took so long to post this chapter guys...my finals are next week, so I've had to study and do some other last minute work...so yeah. But my summer vacation is in one more week, which will open A LOT more free time for writing fanfics. :)

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Bakura took a breath, a motionless, unconscious Ryou still upon his back. Darkness had already settled in. He started back to where Ryou stayed.

Bakura stopped in his tracks suddenly at the sight of someone in his way. He kept his eyes firm on the person in front of him, recognizing him from before.

Malik drew closer. "What did you do to Ryou?"

"I did nothing to him."

"Oh sure. You could kill him if you were in the mood. You demons are all the same; bloodthirsty monsters."

"Listen boy. I could kill you now if I felt like it. But since you're a friend of Ryou's, I'll let you live."

"Fine. Now give Ryou back and get out of here."

"No," Bakura replied flatly, giving Malik a heavy shove, merely brushing past him. He heard a noise, turning to see Malik directing a blow to his face.

Bakura, silently, dodged the punch, and grabbed Malik's arm, throwing him to the ground. "I don't want to hurt you. Now leave me alone. I won't hurt Ryou."

Bakura turned, walking back towards Ryou's post. But he felt something hit him on the back. He growled, setting Ryou down; he whirled, seizing Malik's shirt. His hand went to the sword handle. "I said _leave me alone._"

He pulled the weapon out, holding it close to Malik's throat. "Now I _suggest_ you listen before I _kill you."_

"…N…No…s…stop…"

Both boys turned, seeing Ryou on hands and knees. "…S…Stop…" He repeated, shoulders trembling. "…D…Don't…hurt him…"

Ryou's arms went out from under him, and he collapsed to the ground. "Ryou!"

Bakura quickly shoved Malik away, going up to Ryou. "Are you okay?"

No response. Bakura grabbed Ryou's arms, turning him onto his side. _There's something wrong with him…he's so pale…_

Ryou's eyes reopened, "…I'll…I'll be fine…don't worry…about me…okay?" Ryou smiled weakly. "It's probably just the start of a cold or something…"

"Fine then. But if it gets any worse-"

"Don't…be so pessimistic, Bakura…"

Bakura frowned. _I don't think he's getting sick. It's probably a power effect…_

"Malik…" Ryou closed his eyes again. "…I…know he's a demon…but…I trust him…and he trusts me…so…please, just…try to accept him…at least try to get along."

Ryou stopped. Bakura paused, glancing at the motionless Malik who stood right behind. "…I can understand if you don't trust me," Bakura said quietly, scooping up Ryou in his arms. "But I owe Ryou much…and I have to repay him…"

* * *

Ryou slept silently through the night, and all the way to noon. Bakura frowned as he opened the door. He went over to Ryou, putting another blanket over his shaking form. H_e's not getting any better…he's just as pale as he was before…_

"…B…Bakura…?" Ryou struggled to sit up; Bakura grabbed his arms and hauled him up. "Thank you," Ryou mumbled, dragging a hand through his hair. "…What happened to me…?"

"I don't know. You fainted when I took you off campus to that one spot…"

"…I don't…know what's going on…"

"What do you mean?"

"Like…when I was at that spot with you…I got this…really weird feeling. And it spread…and my vision went out…and I guess I just passed out…

"But…even right now…I have this strange feeling inside of me… Is there something wrong with me?"

"Probably not. The same thing happened to me when the entire dream incidents began. Just rest for today…you should be fine by tonight."

* * *

Bakura sighed as he opened the door, going over to Ryou, who appeared to be asleep. _He's still the same…what's going on here…?_

Bakura placed his hands on Ryou's shoulders, closing his eyes.

Nothing appeared. With a growl of defeat, he opened his eyes, freezing as Ryou's own stared up at him. But they were blank, marble-like: unblinking orbs.

_There's something wrong…but what…?_

He removed his hands, sitting cross-legged beside Ryou. He heard the door open.

"…How is he?"

"…Same," Bakura murmured.

The silence dragged on. "…Tell me if he wakes up…"

"Uh-huh."

He heard the door close this time. He sighed, and put his hands on Ryou's shoulders again. _Show me…_

Nothing. He growled, prying deeper and deeper into Ryou's consciousness. And then he caught a shred of _something. _He grasped it, tugging on it.

But it wasn't a dream.

Everything attached flooded in. Bakura's eyes flashed open, and he quickly pushed Ryou away. _I was right. His power…it's growing…and fast… No wonder he's still out of it! With all that power growing inside of him it must be sucking out his strength…_

Ryou's eyes had closed. Bakura stood, sighing. "I'll be back tonight."

* * *

Bakura took a breath, taking the door handle. He swung the door open, feeling his heart near leap into his throat. He took a step forward, trying to speak, but his words died in his throat.

"…R…Ryou!"

He ran, going over to Ryou, who was lying on the floor upon his side. He turned him over onto his back, freezing as blood rolled down the side of Ryou's mouth.

Gently, Bakura took his arms in his own, lifting Ryou gently. But the smaller boy in his grip grimaced and whimpered, only to cough, red now racing down his chin.

"What's wrong?"

No response.

"Tell me what's wrong with you. Now."

"…M…Make it…stop…it…it hurts…" Ryou said quietly, body stiffening. "It…it hurts…so much…"

"What hurts?" Ryou whimpered again as Bakura's hands tightened on his arms. Bakura stared at him; Ryou began to breathe heavily. "…M…Make it stop…"

Ryou began to viciously squirm, and managed to tear himself from Bakura's grasp, his body landing with a light thump on the floor. Bakura reached for him, but Ryou swatted his hand away, spitting up blood.

"…It…It…It h…h-hurts…"

He screamed.

Bakura watched in shock, seeing Ryou scream, then cough crimson, only to scream again. He watched as one of Ryou's wings turned from white to black, like Bakura's own. Ryou coughed harder, screamed louder, his fingers curling up into fists. _What's happening to me?_

And just like that, all the pain was gone. Ryou lifted himself on his arms shakily, panting with blood smeared across one cheek. He struggled to stand, but he collapsed forward, Bakura grabbing him before he hit the floor.

* * *

Bakura had cleaned away the blood.

He was sitting next to Ryou again, watching him. Ryou stirred, eyes easing open. He froze, heart beating rapidly in his chest in shock as he awoke with Bakura looming over him.

"Hmm. Seems you're awake. Does it still hurt?"

"…N…No," Ryou stammered, sitting upright easily. He caught the two different colored wings that hung from his back. "…W…What happened to my wings?"

"I don't know. Yesterday when you were screaming and everything, one wing just turned to black…"

Ryou paused, then quickly jumped up. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A few days or so."

Ryou flinched. "W…What about my work?"

"I don't know. Your friend probably took care of it. But go ahead back to your post. I'll clean up here."

"Thank you," Ryou said, darting out of the room.

* * *

_What happened to me…?_

_/It's your power…it's arrived…/_

Ryou swallowed, shaking his head, making his hair move with it. _It's just my imagination. That voice…it isn't real…_

_/You inquire I don't exist within you? Oh you'll see…I'm plenty real, Ryou…/_

"Ryou? Hey!"

Ryou snapped back to reality quickly, seeing Malik hovering over him. "Oh. Hi," He said quietly.

"Glad to see you back."

"Thank you…"

Malik's mood seemed to shift. "…I still think he did it. He was the only with you…the only one who saw it. He could've-"

"Malik. Bakura doesn't act like that."

"Oh really? Have you seen how many people die in a day because of him?"

"Hey! He helped me plenty of times!"

"And he'll slowly take advantage of you. He'll then beat you down, and then destroy you. He'll kill you just like the rest."

"No he won't! Stop it!" Ryou shouted back, now standing.

"You know it's true! He's just like the rest of them! Them and-" Malik stopped.

Ryou growled, punching him right in the jaw. Malik made a sound, looking at Ryou in high disbelief. "You…just punched me!"

"Yes. I did."

Ryou heard him curse. "…Then you're just like him…"

Ryou took a step back, seeing Malik looking at the ground. "IT'S OBVIOUS YOU CARE ABOUT HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING!" He punched Ryou back, making the boy stagger backwards, only to be hit again, harder, the blow making him stumble again. Ryou whimpered quietly, blood making its way down his face.

"…I just think you're jealous," Ryou said.

"Why would I be jealous of you or him? There's _nothing_ either of you have that I _could_ be jealous of!"

Ryou went silent, watching Malik turn and stomp off. He pushed the crying sensation away. _/Seems you need to learn to control your anger…/_

"Are you okay?"

Ryou nodded, not even looking up. He glanced up only when a touch came to his shoulder. "You don't look so good. And you're bleeding…"

"I said I'm fine," Ryou said quietly, looking away.

* * *

Bakura sat down next to Ryou. It was growing towards night, but the sky was already pitch black. Ryou's legs were pulled up to his chest, his head down. He was sitting in the rain. His entire body was soaked.

"…Ryou?"

No response.

"…Hey. Kid, look at me."

Ryou lifted his head slowly. Bakura stared at him; tears or rainwater was racing down his face, his bangs plastered to his face.

"…Are you crying?"

"I don't even know," Ryou said quietly. "…There's something wrong with me…"

Bakura hesitated. "Like…power wise? Or something else?"

"I don't know," Ryou repeated, eyes staring at the ground.

"…Then come with me," Bakura said, jumping to his feet. "I have a solution."

Ryou sighed, merely standing and walking after Bakura.

* * *

Chapter 5 : End.


	6. Darkness Within

Well...I've been getting lots of ideas for this story so far...and not a lot for the other ones, sadly. So the others may not be updated as quickly because of the writer's block situation. D:

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

_As if it can help. If I don't know what's wrong, then how can he find out? And if he doesn't know, how can he help?_

"All right…"

Ryou followed Bakura into an enclosed room, the walls having a few shelves where books sat.

"Sit," Bakura said, running a finger over the spines. Ryou silently obeyed.

"Here." Bakura ripped the book from the shelf and put it down in front of Ryou. "Look through it and tell me what describes it most."

Ryou sighed, flipping through the pages.

_I seriously doubt it will say anything about a voice inside your head… Am I just going insane…?_

"…I don't see anything," Ryou said with a frown.

He heard Bakura sigh. "Well…then there's not really another option. I didn't want to do this, but…"

Ryou's eyes widened a little as Bakura thrust a bottle into his hands. Ryou looked at the little container, then looking up at Bakura.

"Drink it."

Ryou hesitated, staring at the almost purple liquid inside. "…Is this safe?"

"Yes."

Ryou sighed, prying the cap off and did as he was told. It didn't have a taste; at first he felt nothing. But suddenly he felt dizzy; he shook his head, trying to clear away the blurriness.

"Ryou, just relax. It won't hurt."

"…Promise…?"

"Yes…"

Ryou managed to sit still for a few minutes; but the dizziness grew. He fell forward, his head landing on one arm, which was upon the table.

Bakura sighed, taking Ryou's arms and lifting him out of the chair. He dragged Ryou a few feet from the table and put him down on the floor upon his back. He put his hands on Ryou's shoulders.

Nothing. Bakura growled low in his throat, his eyes still open. He dug his fingers into Ryou's shoulders, prying deeper into Ryou's consciousness. As if in deep concentration, Bakura's eyes narrowed down. _Come on, come on…_

Ryou twitched as Bakura's grip grew.

_There._

With one hand still tightly gripping Ryou's shoulder, Bakura pulled a similar container from the shelf within reach. He quickly tore the cap off, downing the amount of reddish liquid.

_I hope this works…_

The room fogged up quickly. Right when the room dimmed, Bakura let go, pushing himself away from Ryou, and landing on the floor, motionless.

* * *

"…Ryou."

Bakura stepped inside the room, going up to the motionless form. But it was hovering; Ryou's form was limp, a few inches off the floor so that his fingers brushed the ground.

The white, bloodstained shirt was black now, tattered and ripped. Bakura touched the ripped section, taking both parts and ripping it further, revealing Ryou's chest.

But there wasn't any skin visible. There was black…

Bakura's eyes widened slightly, and he touched the black that coated Ryou's form. "It can't be…"

The dark stuff seemed to cling tighter to Ryou at Bakura's touch. As if not wanting or allowing to be removed…

Ryou's eyes flickered, easing open. A small gasp passed his lips, seeing Bakura looming right over him.

_No…he's awake…! He can't be awake now! This isn't good…_

Ryou blinked once, staring up at Bakura. "What…?"

Ryou looked around, his eyes going wide. "W…Where am I? And…and…" Ryou lifted a shaky hand, touching the black substance upon himself. "What…is this…?"

"I was hoping that I was wrong…but…I sadly was right…"

"…W…What…?"

"You have darkness…a dark power inside of you…that's the black…"

Ryou's eyes widened further, and he glanced at the exposed section of his form again, the shadows hugging closer.

"But earlier…when I looked inside of here…you had other powers forming and growing…not just the dark ones…so why can't I see them…?"

"…_The power to control…you want it…don't you, Ryou? The dark power… It's a wonderful thing you have, Ryou. The darkness…somehow, it attached itself…and with every dark thing, it grows… But the darkness within you enables amazing power…"_

"I said leave me alone! I don't want it!" Ryou shouted back.

"_You don't? What about your mother…your sister…? The dark power…you could bring them back to life, Ryou…then everything could go back to normal…"_

Bakura's head jerked, and he quickly grabbed Ryou's shoulders. "Ryou, don't listen to it!"

"_I know you miss them…and once you bring them back…your life would become normal again…you could go back home…and live again…"_

Ryou stared upwards. Bakura shook him violently, "I SAID DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!"

Ryou appeared not to hear. Bakura cursed, rummaging through his jacket pocket. His hand felt something cold.

"Ryou…I can tell you can't fight it… I don't have a choice… I'm sorry."

Ryou's eyes widened further, his mouth falling open. No sound came out.

Bakura blinked, the knife in his hands injected into Ryou's body, right beneath his ribs. Blood quickly flooded out of the wound. Ryou writhed in pain, screaming aloud, coughing blood.

"I'm sorry for this…but…I promised to repay you…"

Bakura's eyes turned to the black, which was moving slightly, away from the stab wound. Bakura stiffened. "…Take me. You can help me win this war…and destroy the leader," Bakura said with a smirk.

The black stopped, as if looking at him.

_Take the bait._

Ryou's body fell to the floor. Ryou whimpered aloud, his hands curling about the knife handle; he tugged it free, dropping it, panting as blood came more.

Ryou turned, blood dripping, onto his knees, one hand around the wound.

It seemed to jump off Ryou, coming towards Bakura. …_Now._

Bakura dodged the attempt at the black grabbing his leg, grabbing the now bloodied knife and throwing it. It hit its target.

The dark seemed to scream, squirming, but pinned down, unable to go any further. Bakura sighed, taking the sword from its place on his waist, bringing it down on the stuff. It made a shrieking noise, viciously squirming. But it stopped as Bakura stabbed it again.

He put the sword back, taking out a container, forcing the inky substance inside and closing the lid.

"…Ryou…"

Bakura readjusted his focus to Ryou, who was still on his knees, his entire body shaking like mad. Bakura bit his lip, seeing Ryou breathe heavier, near falling over. Blood made its way between his fingers.

"I'm sorry…but it was the only way to get it off of you…" Bakura said quietly, forcing Ryou into a sitting position as gently as he could. "I said I'd repay you. If that stuff had gotten you to give in…well…it wouldn't be pretty. Chances are that you wouldn't exist anymore…

"I think that dark power inside of you made your wing turn black. And from what I've seen so far…you have some other power…but I don't know what it is yet…"

Ryou was silent. The blood coming out had lessened.

"Ryou…I'm sorry…if I had figured the dark power out earlier-"

"I-it's…okay…" Ryou smiled slightly. "I…I forgive you…"

"…But…I said I'd repay you…and I still wound up hurting you…"

"…So? Y…You…you…"

Ryou's smiled faded away, tilting backwards; Bakura quickly grabbed his arms and gently placed him on his back. He had already fainted.

"I know…but…" Bakura trailed off, pulling a handful of bandages from his pocket. He near winced at the wound; he quickly tied the binds, setting Ryou down.

Bakura sat in silence, looking at the floor. He held his hands out in front of him, staring at the bloodied sections. "…What am I…? No matter what…even if I try to help…I always cause hurt…"

* * *

Ryou awoke that morning, sunlight blinding him. He felt a stinging pain; he shifted, the memory pouring back.

He sat bolt upright, regretting it instantly as the pain bit down. He winced, standing up, shielding his eyes. "Where is he…?"

He saw Bakura turn, coming towards him. Ryou swallowed uneasily. _He looks angry…_

Ryou frowned as Bakura stormed past him. "Hey…!"

Bakura growled, swatting Ryou's hand away as it touched his shoulder. "Leave me alone."

"…What's the matter with you? Did…Did I…do something wrong…?"

"No. I'm just being told over and over again not to kill our "side." But I said before, I have no side. It's annoying, being told over and over again…"

"…Oh…"

The silence dragged on for a few minutes.

"…Umm…Bakura…thank you…for what you did…I know…that you wanted to help…and…umm…"

"…You're welcome. I had to repay you for what you did. I just…regret stabbing you like I did."

"No, no…it's okay. Really."

Silence.

Ryou cleared his throat, shifting his weight to his other leg. "Umm…I…I guess I'll see you later…?"

"…Yeah."

_That's weird. He…just doesn't seem like himself today…_

Bakura left, Ryou still standing there.

"…You're allowing too much, Ryou."

"How so?" Ryou asked, turning to see Malik standing behind him.

"You know what I mean. I found you both on the floor unconscious yesterday. And I know about the wound. He stabbed you. Don't you realize how much more damage he could've caused you?"

"Malik. Just stay out of my business. You don't understand anything that's going on, so just back off, okay?"

"…Fine. Maybe I don't know what's going on completely. But-"

"I don't care, all right? You can say whatever you want, but it won't matter to me. You just don't understand what's going on…"

Ryou watched him leave. _…But…is he jealous or is there actually a possibility of what he said coming true?_

* * *

Chapter 6 : End.


	7. Strange Magic & Power

Thanks to all the readers/reviewers out there! I really appreciate it. :)

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Okay…light it."

Ryou obeyed silently, striking the match, lighting the candle that sat on the table. It was night. The darkness was pushed away from where the two stood. Bakura hugged the container close to his form, the black substance jerking inside the jar as the candle was lit.

"Now hold this."

Bakura thrust the container into Ryou's hands, which were trembling a little. Ryou's fingers curled tight on the glass, seeing the stuff thrash around as it grew closer to Ryou and the lit candle.

Bakura thumbed through a book, stopping suddenly. "Hold it over the flame, Ryou."

Ryou did as he was told, his hands shaking more visibly. The substance bumped around, hitting the glass sides as it grew closer to the flame. Ryou's fingers twitched as he felt the glass starting to heat up. He bit his lip, watching the substance inside desperately claw towards the lid, only to slide back down to the bottom of the jar.

Bakura frowned, seeing Ryou's hands shaking. "You have to hold it still."

"Sorry…" Ryou murmured, his fingers still twitching a little.

Ryou felt the jar moving as the substance thrashed around inside. He could hear Bakura speaking, though he couldn't understand a word he was saying. Ryou's eyes went wide as the flame grew, touching the jar, and as the black inside seemed to panic, slamming desperately around, clawing upwards but getting no where.

Ryou flinched, seeing the flame turn to an eerie green color. The light grew, along with the flame. "DROP IT!"

Ryou quickly did so, the container falling to the table, a long crack racing up the side of the glass. The light grew blinding; Ryou pulled away, covering his eyes with an arm. He could hear it… Bakura screamed something, and then he heard a shrieking noise.

He managed to slightly open his eyes, finding Bakura standing stiffly, an object, almost like a long stick from a tree, held out in front of him, glowing green. Ryou glanced at the container, only to be blinded once more at the ball of light sitting there.

Pain suddenly shot through; Ryou staggered, the place where the stab wound pulsed with pain. Ryou twisted, doubling over into a crouching position on the floor, clutching the spot.

He heard Bakura yell again, much louder this time. Ryou looked up for a second, the light-filled room forcing him to look immediately away.

The pain suddenly died.

Ryou was quivering, and he flinched when a hand touched his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"…Y…Yeah…"

Ryou lifted his head shakily, looking around the room. The candle was burned out, a trail of smoke lifting into the air. Bakura was holding that object in his left hand, his right merely dangling at his side. Ryou saw red.

"What happened?" He asked, getting to his feet and taking Bakura's wrist. Blood oozed out of his palm, running down his arm and dripping onto the floor. Ryou managed to wipe some of the blood away, revealing an X shaped cut engraved deep into Bakura's hand. He turned it over, the skin on the other side cut up as well, Bakura's fingers also bleeding.

Bakura made a sound, yanking his hand away. "I'm fine. It's nothing, okay?"

Ryou bit his lip, watching as Bakura staggered over to the table. The demon stumbled and fell to his knees. Ryou quickly ran to his side, seeing Bakura clutching his arm. Bakura growled, tightening his grip.

Ryou forced him to let go, taking his arm, rolling up the jacket sleeve.

Blood poured down Bakura's arm.

A small gasp passed from Ryou, drawing back as the blood rolled down Bakura's arm. Ryou noticed that his arm was shaking.

The wound flowed up to a little beneath his elbow. The skin seemed to be pierced at his wrist, and as if a knife had been pulled up his arm; the wound was in a line, but it was rather deep.

Bakura tried to pull away, but Ryou held on. "Hold still…let me help."

But Bakura jerked his arm free. "You can't help."

"…W…What?"

"The spell…it used magic and some of my power. The effects won't allow any magic to take affect…your healing magic will only be wasted…"

Ryou bit his lip, watching the crimson race, forming a small puddle about Bakura's hand.

_He actually…looks like he's feeling that pain for once. It must really hurt…_

"Then…at least let me help you with the bandaging…"

No response.

Ryou stood, gently lifting Bakura by his other arm. _What is this? _Ryou touched the wood, which was still faintly glowing green. Bakura's left hand remained curled about it.

Bakura's bangs had fallen over his eyes. Ryou noticed how his fingers were tightly clutching the object. His shoulders were trembling, blood dripping all over the floor. Ryou made him sit in the chair nearby, taking the rather limp arm and bandaging it. The white almost instantly dyed crimson. Ryou bit his lip, looking at Bakura.

Nothing.

"…Bakura? Are you still awake?"

Silence. Ryou could hear the deep breathing and knew he had passed out.

"…Now what?"

Ryou's attention shifted to the wooden object Bakura still held. "Wait…haven't I seen this before…?"

Ryou narrowed his eyes, searching for the explanation. His eyes widened, and he tore the object from Bakura's hand, tossing it to the floor. The wood stopped glowing.

_That thing…that cursed pole I was hearing so much about…_

Ryou frowned, crouching down next to the wooden object, studying the carvings. _Isn't it true that spirits and power is sealed inside of this thing by using certain demonic magic?_

Ryou touched it, only for a second; but he could feel it. The sudden pulse of energy that flowed inside of his hands…an extra strength… _No._

Ryou quickly removed his hand, the sudden strength and sense of power dying instantly. Ryou bit his lip. He liked the way it felt…a craving for it digging at him. _Maybe I could just…_

Ryou touched it with both hands, gently lifting the pole from the floor. He watched as the wood glowed a weak, familiar green color. Ryou smiled slightly; the warmth…the strength, the energy…the power…it came flooding back, stronger than before. He liked it…the way it felt…

Ryou glanced at Bakura, hesitating at first as he saw the blood soaking through the bandages, Bakura's pale face bowed, his bangs hanging low over his face. But he pushed the hesitation away and quietly picked up the book that was sitting nearby.

Ryou frowned at the strange symbols and markings. Despite never seeing it before, he could read a line. Just one. _…I guess it won't hurt…besides; Bakura uses demonic power on me all the time, right…?_

Ryou murmured the words he could read. He raised his voice, the wood glowing brighter green. He started yelling like Bakura had, a gasp passing his lips as a flash emitted itself from the pole. Ryou fought, struggling to keep a hold on the object, another smile coating his face as the power sense jumped sky high.

_It feels…good…_

Ryou's smile widened, almost a smirk now, hugging the strange device closer, the light dancing across his face. He could feel a burning on his hands, but ignored it. He was too busy…

Ryou stole another glance at the book, almost startled as the previous words had turned a faint blue. He focused on the text, cocking his head as his mind registered the next phrase. He could _read _the strange symbols now.

Ryou was hesitant again, only to quickly push it away. He kept repeating the words in the book, his fingers tightly clutching the wooden pole, his grin plastered to his face.

He didn't notice Bakura stirring.

The demon groaned, lifting his head, blinded by the sudden burst of light. He squinted, his eyes adjusting. …_Ryou?_

Bakura jumped to his feet, hearing the words, realizing the object was no longer in his possession. "RYOU STOP!"

He quickly ran over to him, seeing Ryou standing in the center of the room, his eyes focused on the book, the pole held out horizontally in front of him, the wood glowing a blinding green.

Bakura quickly snapped the book shut.

But it was as if he didn't matter: as if Ryou had memorized every word…every phrase. He kept going, yelling now.

Bakura grabbed the shaft, grimacing as pain shot through his hand. _This isn't good…_

Bakura let it go, instead grabbing hold of Ryou's hair and jerking his head back, getting him in a lock in his arm. But the smaller boy plunged the shaft in Bakura's stomach, making him growl and near wince, releasing Ryou.

The smaller one took a few steps back, still talking, only to himself…

Bakura's eyes widened as the color changed to red. "RYOU, DON'T-"

But Ryou merely grinned, the red light reflecting on his face. A ball of light; it formed on the end of the shaft. Ryou's eyes seemed dark as he threw the shaft outwards, the light spraying outwards, sending Bakura crashing backwards, landing with a heavy impact into the wall.

He swore, staggering to his feet, Ryou merely swinging the shaft again, barely missing his head, put the light knocked him back, off his feet; his eyes widened as Ryou loomed over him, eyes dark, plunging the shaft into his ribs.

He could taste blood in his mouth as he coughed, landing on the floor, the end of the pole resting on his chest. He could see Ryou hovering over him, almost smirking down at him…

Bakura growled, directing a kick upwards; it hit Ryou in his stomach, making him stumble; just enough. Bakura leapt to his feet, knocking Ryou down. "I'm sorry…"

Bakura tore the staff from Ryou's grip, before allowing Ryou to make a move, rammed it into his chest. Ryou's eyes widened, his mouth opening a little. Bakura made a low growl, lifting the staff a little, then ramming it right back down between the smaller one's ribs.

Ryou's eyes widened a little more, a small cry passing his lips. Bakura removed the staff; Ryou's body squirming before he turned, coughing, red trickling down his mouth.

Bakura cursed again, sinking to the floor, arm stinging with pain. "What were you _thinking? _Let me guess. You _weren't _thinking, were you?"

"It-It's not-"

"Ryou. Don't feed me that. You knew perfectly well what you were doing."

Ryou kept his eyes level with the floor. "…But…it felt…it felt so _good…"_

"Humph. As if it matters…you could feel the power, Ryou. I could see it in your eyes. And you gave in…you _craved _that power…you fell in. You knew it what that thing was, but you didn't care, did you? You just wanted the power, the strength…the _feeling."_

No response.

"Don't you realize what you're doing to yourself? To your mind, your body, and your soul?"

"…I don't care…" Ryou said quietly.

Bakura stopped, seeing Ryou's eyes remain fixed on the floor. "I don't _care," _he said again, his shoulders shaking a little, as if he was going to engage into a burst of anger. But he stayed quiet. "I don't think I have any of those any more…I lost my mind a long time ago…" His voice wavered, and he shakily stood.

"…It's me…isn't it…? You all…you all hate me…don't you?"

"Ryou, it's not-"

"Don't lie to me…you all hate me. And Malik…Malik was just faking it, wasn't he? And you, too…and…and…" His voice cracked; Bakura could see his eyes shinning with tears.

"Ryou-"

But the smaller one turned, running out of the room and outside. Bakura remained on the floor, watching as he sped out.

He could see the tears that raced from his eyes. He almost thought he could see blood…

He heard the words that almost stung as Ryou raced out of the room.

"I hate you."

* * *

Chapter 7 : End.


	8. Fighting & Gone

Well, I'm not really sure how long this is going to be. More than 15 chapters though!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Enjoy. :)

* * *

It was well after dark. Ryou sat up slowly, glancing about, seeing Bakura lying on the ground, but not beside him.

He stood, easing himself past buildings until he recognized the one from yesterday. He swung the door open.

No one was there. Ryou smiled slightly to himself, stepping into the room, shutting the door behind him. He glanced around the room, finding the shaft from before propped up in a corner. He lit one of the candles, a familiar glow entering the space.

He opened the book, smiling at least a full page glowing faintly blue. Almost a pulse throbbed in his hands; he could feel it coming back. The power…

Ryou held it horizontally outwards, glancing at the next page, repeating the words. The green glow returned; he could maintain a grip on the object.

He kept repeating the phrases, feeling it grow…he could feel the energy jumping upwards, spreading…

_As if it matters what happens to me now. Life always was bad for me…and things just keep going downhill…_

Ryou blinked, narrowing his eyes slightly and tightening his grip. _So why should I care? No one else does, either… Maybe I should just die…_

Ryou growled low in his throat, repeating the text. The pulse grew stronger, faster…the glow continued to glow brighter. Ryou frowned and flipped to the last page. The text was small… he smiled to himself.

He repeated the words, but a strange feeling started to form inside of him…

But as he kept speaking, the light changed, a deep red, getting brighter by the second. Ryou swallowed, feeling the sense rising rapidly.

Ryou raised his voice, the pulse rapid and so strong…

Pain shot through his hands, flooding up his arms and to the rest of his body. "_…Get…us…out…"_

The pain grew, along with the peculiar sense. The pain seemed to be cutting into his heart; Ryou gave a scream, throwing the shaft, it falling with a clatter to the floor. The light died.

"Ryou?"

Ryou whirled, seeing Bakura standing in the doorway. His eyes grew wide. He ran over to Ryou, checking him, "Are you hurt?"

Ryou growled, ripping his arms free from Bakura's grasp. "I'm fine. Leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you."

"Don't be so stubborn with me…I just want to help you. Just let me talk to you!"

"NO! GO AWAY!"

Bakura growled, his eyes dark. "Fine. If you want to be that way, I can do the same thing." He loomed over Ryou, drawing himself into full height.

Ryou looked up at him, taking an uneasy step back as Bakura's eyes seemed to pierce into him.

"What's your _problem? _I don't know who you think you are, kid. I could kill you in an instant…" Bakura growled low, backing off a little, but barely. "…Maybe if you looked deep enough you'd understand that I care what happens to you. And for a while, I thought you thought the same thing of me. But apparently I was wrong."

Bakura snatched the book from the table, hurling it at Ryou. "And now it's going to change. You'd better keep your eyes open, boy. I could kill you while you sleep for all you know," Bakura hissed.

Ryou stared at him with wide eyes, the thrown book clutched to his chest.

"I hope you die, Ryou."

He slammed the door behind himself.

* * *

Why did it hurt so much?

Ryou pulled his legs up to his chest, his body trembling slightly as the cold whipped around him as he sat upon the rooftop.

_Is this how Bakura felt when I said I hated him…?_

Ryou bit his lip, another cold gush of wind clawing at his skin as it passed. _I don't even know what I feel anymore…_

Ryou sighed. His thoughts roamed.

…_What if…it's found out that we've been associating with each other? Will we both be killed…? And when I'm dying…will he grin down at me and laugh? Will he get his wish…?_

Ryou shook the thoughts away.

He could remember when the arrow pierced his shoulder…maybe it would've been better if it had killed him right then.

* * *

_Screw him!_

Bakura growled low, glancing at his reflection in the mirror. He was scowling deeply, giving the mirror a blow that cracked the glass.

He stormed off.

He stomped into the next room, hearing whispering as he did, giving a glare to the owners, finding that one guy from before. He searched his memory for the name. _Malik._

"Listen. I want to know what happened between you and Ryou. He hasn't been himself since he started talk to you."

"I did nothing to him," Bakura growled. "It's what he did first."

"I knew you wouldn't get along. I tried to tell him that-"

"He's too stubborn."

Malik was silent.

"Selfish too, the little…" Bakura's eyes were dark. "You ask me, he's getting what he deserves. And I think the kid needs to die."

"You're not going to kill him, are you…?"

"Humph. No. I don't need to…the leaders will slit his throat soon enough, finding out that he's been with me."

"But they'll kill you too, you know."

"Like I'll let some idiots like them kill me. I can fight you know, unlike Ryou. The weakling can only heal. Some good that is when your life is on the line."

* * *

Ryou grimaced, watching the blood dot the bandage that was wrapped about his arm. Some lunatic had almost cut it off when trying to chase someone down, slitting Ryou's arm on the way.

Ryou pushed the crying sensation away as he continued to write. He sighed, letting the pen drop from his tired hands. He frowned as he saw stray blood marks from his bandages.

The black letters seemed to blink up at him. He sighed, picking the pen back up and quickly signing his name at the bottom.

It was dark outside. Ryou folded the sheet of paper neatly into fourths, slashing a name on the front before switching the light off and exiting the building.

He found Bakura sprawled on the ground, apparently in deep sleep already. Ryou frowned again, giving a careful look around. No one was even paying him any attention.

He silently slid the letter into Bakura's jacket pocket.

"…I'm sorry…" Ryou murmured softly before turning and leaving the area.

* * *

Bakura groaned, stirring. He eased his eyes open, frowning as the sunlight flowed over him. There was an annoying chirping of a bird somewhere, irritating him already.

He scanned the landscape for Ryou, hoping to be able to sneak some food from him before he noticed.

No signs of the boy.

Bakura scowled, getting up. He searched the buildings. No Ryou.

"Where is he?" Bakura growled, thrusting his hands into his pockets. He heard something…

He pulled it out, finding it as a letter, his name written on the outside. He opened it with a sigh, not realizing what it was yet…

_Dear Bakura,_

_I have to go. I can't do it any more…_

_I'm sorry that it didn't work out. I was hateful to you, and I do realize now you were only trying to help me. But it's too late to start over…_

_But why send this to you? …Because you understood what happened to me. You…you looked into it. And you helped me. But it all changed. I don't know if you're even bothering to read this. I don't blame you if you didn't, knowing it was from me. I know you probably hate me…_

_I thank you for what you've already done. I just…_

_I don't know where I'm headed. But I'm just leaving. I may die on the way, but it doesn't matter to me anymore. In fact, I'm almost wishing for death to take me away from here…_

_If Malik asks, just tell him…if he doesn't ask, don't say anything to him…_

_I'm sorry…_

_If we meet again…if not…good-bye…_

_-Ryou_

Bakura stood there for a second, his mind still trying to register what just happened. It then hit him like a ton of bricks.

* * *

It was snowing, early morning. _Stupid snow! Figures, when I leave it starts to snow… I wonder if Bakura found my note…_

Ryou flinched as he heard loud, deep voices. "Hey! Isn't that the guy?"

Ryou instinctively ran. He didn't get far, two uniformed guys seizing both of his arms. Ryou let out a noise, trying to fight the grip. "LET GO OF ME!"

He whimpered as pain broke through his shoulder. They started to drag him backwards. He heard a rough voice, sounding annoyed. "Listen, you either come quietly or we'll make you, got it?"

Ryou watched blood ooze down his arm to his fingers, dripping onto the ground. He squirmed in their grips, only to have them tighten. The world about him went black as he felt something collide with his head.

Ryou slumped in their grip, his blood leaving spots of red in the white snow.

* * *

Ryou's eyes flickered, easing open. He gave a curious glance around, finding the room in darkness. He felt lightheaded, incredibly weak…

He couldn't move. He could move his arms, but only a little. He found them handcuffed. He saw blood still trickling down his arm.

"So he was easy to catch, eh?"

"Yep. From what I've heard he's an escaped healer for the angel party. He's been hanging out with demons."

"Trying to escape his fate, hmm?"

"I guess. But he's a goner now. I've heard they're going to do the Ceremony soon."

"It's always fun to watch the Ceremony, don't you think?"

"You'd better believe it…" A chuckle. "Ones dealing with Other rules are the most fun to watch occur, though. More blood, more torture. And they don't stop screaming till the die."

Laughter.

"Well, I wonder what Form they'll use. That's always interesting…watching them squirm while the Form is decided."

Ryou couldn't see who was speaking. He shuddered in the darkness at the conversation. He didn't know what they were talking about, and he was hoping he wasn't going to find out…

"So when is it?"

"Tomorrow at dusk."

"Great. I heard it's going to keep snowing until then…we can watch the snow turn red."

Murmurs of excitement sounded. Ryou shivered. _I wonder if anyone even noticed that I was gone…_

_I hope they just my wings off at the most…though I really doubt they'll be satisfied with that…they'll probably decapitate me while they're at it…_

_I wonder what everyone will think of me then._

_And what will Malik and Bakura think…?_

_Will they cry for me? Or will Bakura just laugh at me and yell, 'It's what you deserve!'?_

Ryou shuddered again, drawing himself into a smaller form, slowly becoming enveloped in slumber.

* * *

Chapter 8 : End.


	9. Ceremony & Hurt

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 9 : Ceremony & Hurt

* * *

Ryou came back to the present groggily, his head pounding. He had a strange taste in his mouth, his body feeling weird. _They probably drugged me. _Ryou thought bitterly.

He glanced about, seeing the sun slowly going down. _Oh no…_

Ryou felt a cold rush, noticing the snow. He found that his jacket was gone, leaving his bloodstained uniform for the only protection for the upper half of his body.

Someone appeared in front of him, yanking on his arms like a doll's, merely dragging Ryou along without a word.

The handcuffs were still on his wrists. He could see faint bloodstains from his arm bleeding. The person gave Ryou a shove, the boy stumbling outwards. He lifted his head quickly.

There were all staring at him.

Ryou flinched, seeing both the angels and the demons staring at him with intensity. Ryou gave an anxious glance around. He saw both Malik and Bakura there.

"Well. As you all know, we have rules…both for Others and for life. However…"

The stares continued. Ryou swallowed uneasily.

"They've been broken. And all of you should already know what happens. We've chosen a form already…Number 13."

The angels seemed to clench their teeth, all of them not looking at Ryou now, but the demons now screamed out loud with delight.

_W-What…?_

Ryou's thoughts broke instantly. He choked back a cry, feeling something sharp collide with his back. Blood oozed down his spine, making the boy writhe.

He saw a glint, knowing instantly it was a knife. He felt the sensation several more times, feeling more blood flow down his backside.

Ryou wobbled slightly, his vision clouded. He felt lightheaded, blood leaking through wounds.

"Go ahead."

Ryou watched as a sword drew close to his throat, only to shift. He threw a quick glance to the people watching. No Bakura.

He shut his eyes, bracing for the worst. He heard a sickening noise, but felt nothing. He eased his eyes open, his breath and words dying in his throat.

Bakura stood in front of Ryou, his body beginning to lean. Ryou's eyes were wide, tear-filled as he saw the sword go through his abdomen, partially coming out of his backside. Blood gushed.

"MOVE!"

The sword was ripped from Bakura's stomach, blood spilling. Bakura scowled, punching the guy full force in the face, causing him to fall.

It caused madness.

Bakura managed to dodge the attempts at being caught. While the people scrambled around, he quickly grabbed Ryou's arm. "Come on," he said quietly, quickly pulling Ryou and running off.

* * *

Ryou landed next to Bakura, the snow knee-deep. Bakura's face was completely drained of all color, his hand curled about the front of the wound, hands covered in blood.

Ryou frowned at the handcuffs. Bakura seemed to take notice, because he lifted his weapon high; Ryou held out his arms, Bakura swinging down and cutting the chains. They broke, falling to the ground.

The sword fell from Bakura's hands as he collapsed. Ryou quickly grabbed him, picking the weapon off the ground, dragging both towards what appeared to be a cave to him.

It was dry in the inside, no snow. Ryou threw the sword down, gently setting Bakura down against the wall. He was panting now, his hands trembling, no longer drawn over the wound. He was shaking like mad.

Ryou bit his lip, gently putting his hands to the wound. The blue light came again, but when he finished, only the back half had sealed, the front side still bleeding furiously.

He guessed the spell still hadn't completely worn off.

"The…magic…hasn't…worn off…all the way…I guess…"

Ryou felt guilt as Bakura squirmed, shivering like crazy. Ryou rummaged through his pockets, a miracle he still had bandages left. He forced Bakura to lean back, lifting his shirt a bit, finding the wound horrible. He tied the bandages as tight as he could.

Ryou forced Bakura to zip up his jacket. The demon soon passed out.

Ryou shivered, the short-sleeved uniform basically nothing to keep him warm. But, at least Bakura wasn't shaking as much anymore.

* * *

Ryou awoke with a start, quickly glancing around. He found Bakura curled up on the floor, gently shaking him.

"Bakura, hey, you need to-"

He froze.

Blood was soaking through the front of Bakura's jacket, his face deathly pale.

Ryou frowned, gently easing Bakura upright. The demon slumped in Ryou's grip, his body near limp.

"Bakura?"

Ryou noticed his chest wasn't moving. He quickly pressed closer, straining; he wasn't breathing.

Ryou pressed his hands to Bakura's chest, giving a heavy amount of pressure. The demon coughed, now barely breathing. "…R…R…you…"

Ryou gently lifted Bakura's shirt. Blood was all over him, the wound still bleeding badly. _He's going to die…no…he can't die!_

Ryou quickly scooped Bakura up in his arms, surprised how light the demon had suddenly become. His body was limp in Ryou's grasp. Ryou quickly ran outside, "Please…don't die…"

* * *

Ryou was breathing beyond heavily when he saw light up ahead. He hugged Bakura's limp form closer, feeling the deathly cold rub off. He ran into the nearest building, panting with Bakura in his arms.

All faces turned towards him, eyes showing shock. "Please…help him…"

No one moved.

Ryou sunk to his knees, shoulders trembling as tears formed in his eyes, hugging Bakura's body even closer. "Please…" he murmured, tightening his grasp as tears trickled down his face.

"Hey. Let me see him."

Ryou lifted his head slowly, a guy hovering over him. "Wait…Bakura?"

Ryou's heart leapt into his throat. "You…you know him?"

"Yeah. Come with me."

Ryou followed instantly, feeling Bakura's breathing lighten. The person took Bakura from Ryou, setting him down on a rather high table, instantly tearing off his jacket.

Ryou sat down close by, watching him work.

"…Bakura and I were friends at a time."

"But he told me he never had friends…"

"Well…I guess more of acquaintances more than friends. But we lost contact."

Ryou watched him take Bakura's shirt and practically rip it into two pieces. He shifted uneasily at the sight of the wound.

"…Who are you?"

"Just call me Marik."

…_Weird. Sounds and looks like Malik._

"…Do you know anyone named Malik?"

"Yeah. We were partners in a section of the war for the time, but I was sent here, so I lost contact with him as well."

Marik frowned as he saw the blood. "How long has he been bleeding?"

"I don't know," Ryou admitted. "But it's been too long…"

"…It's too bad to heal. He'll have to get stitches. What happened to him anyway?"

"It's a long story…"

Ryou bit his lip as the needle was pierced through Bakura's flesh, making him squirm. "Aren't you supposed to numb him or something?" Ryou asked.

"Nah. I know Bakura, trust me, kid, he doesn't need anything to numb him."

Silence.

"There."

Ryou peered at Bakura, who was now motionless entirely. The stitches ran from his left side all the way around to his right.

"He'll be fine. Now, where are you from?"

"…I…I'm from the war site…"

"You were sent away?"

"No, sir…I…I managed to escape from the Ceremony."

"Oh. Well…you can't go back now…I guess you two can stay here for the night."

"Thank you…"

* * *

Bakura awoke with a start the next morning. He could hear voices, but they seemed far away, almost faint. There was an extreme pain in his abdomen…

"Bakura!"

The demon blinked heavily, seeing Ryou now hovering over him. "How are you feeling?"

"…I've…felt better. Where am I…? What happened…?"

"It's okay…you'll be fine, all right? What's the last thing you remember?"

"…Blood…so much blood…like…a river of it."

"Well…you became hurt…but since we ran away from the Ceremony, we couldn't go back. Your wound was really bad…apparently the weapon had gone all the way through your body…so I tried to heal it…but only to back half healed. I brought you here for help…I…I thought you were going to die…"

Bakura was silent. His eyes met another, unfamiliar set. "…Who…are you?"

"You don't remember me, Bakura? I'm hurt," Marik replied with a pout.

"…Marik…? But I thought…"

"Well you thought wrong. They just sent me here for work in the medical class."

"You're a _doctor_ now?"

"Yep. Well, it's really fun actually. A lot of people come here, but they're usually just about dead. I can stab them with this needle thing and kill them. It's so cool…"

"Oh. I was just about to ask if you gave up murdering." Bakura laughed slightly. "Yeah right. You'd keep killing people no matter what job they gave you."

Ryou blinked, feeling confusion as the two carried on a conversation. Marik suddenly stopped and looked at him with suspicion.

"…By the way. Who is that?"

"…Oh…that's Ryou." Bakura sighed lightly. "…It's a really long story."

"…He doesn't look like a demon to me," Marik replied.

"He isn't. Ryou's full blooded angel."

"Bakura. Are you on something? I mean an _angel? _What's gotten into you?"

"I said it's a long story."

"…You two do look a lot alike though…"

Ryou spoke up. "So do you and Malik."

Marik sighed. "…I know." He turned back to Bakura, the two containing their conversation.

…_They both have gold wings…and they're both blond. They look exactly the same… Just like Bakura and me…_

Ryou swallowed uneasily, easing closer to the table. Bakura was sitting upright now, chattering away.

"…Bakura…?" Both sets of eyes turned to him. "…I'm sorry…"

Ryou felt tears spring into his eyes. He desperately tried to wipe them away, about to run from the room. He could feel them staring. The tears came back. _No…I can't cry…not now…I can't cry…!_

"…I'll leave you alone for a few minutes…"

Footsteps. The door closed.

Ryou didn't bother to look up, hearing Bakura's feet land on the floor. "Ryou…I'm sorry too…I didn't mean any of it…"

Ryou found tears flowing. He tried to move away, but felt weight settle on his shoulders. "…Go ahead…you can cry…let it out…"

He started sobbing.

_I bet he's going to pull away. He always does when he's upset. _Bakura thought bitterly.

To his surprise, Ryou let him keep his hands on his shoulders as he cried. "You…almost…almost…got yourself…killed…"

"I know. But I promised to repay you…"

Ryou continued to cry, feeling Bakura trying to pull him closer. He hiccupped, body racked with sobs. "I'm sorry…" Ryou murmured.

Bakura flinched as Ryou fell forward, almost landing against him. Bakura's face turned red in a blush; he quickly moved Ryou upright, the boy already unconscious in his arms.

* * *

Chapter 9 : End.


	10. Going & Struggling

Well, my summer has officially began, so I have a lot more time to work on my fanfics now...

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 10 Going & Struggling

* * *

"What can we do now?" Ryou asked quietly. He was seated next to Bakura, who was examining the stitches he had gotten.

"I don't know really. We can't go back, that's one thing for sure."

"Then where can we go?" Ryou paused. "…There's nowhere else to go, Bakura…"

Silence.

"…Well we can't just wait around. The party will be here soon, looking for us. We have to keep moving."

Bakura jumped to his feet, exiting the room with Ryou at his heels.

"…You're leaving?"

"We have to. They'll be looking for us."

"True. But shouldn't you grab some heavier coats or something? And apparently, your little friend there ran all the way here in short-sleeves and jeans."

"Okay, fine…"

Bakura took the jackets thrust at him, slipping his own on and tossed Ryou's to him. Ryou noticed Bakura had heavier cover, but said nothing. It was probably best, since he was hurt.

Ryou paused at the door, hearing Bakura and Marik talking quietly. He could feel a slight pain, but thinking it was just because of the way he ran or the sudden temperature adjustment, merely pushed it away.

"Okay, so we need to head east for now. Marik said there's another village a good distance that way…" Bakura swung the door open, going outside, Ryou right behind.

They stood outside in the snow for a few minutes in silence. Then Bakura spoke up. "…Which way is east?"

Ryou sighed and pointed.

"…Oh."

"How did you even get into the war if you don't know directions?"

Bakura shrugged. "I guess the sword ability made up for it."

* * *

Ryou shuddered visibly. "It's cold."

"Don't be a wimp."

Silence.

"…Bakura…what if…we never find another place…or we wind up dying…?"

"Don't talk like that. Jeez, you're so negative lately. That's supposed to be my job, remember?"

"…I guess…"

Bakura frowned as he glanced at Ryou. He looked like he was limping. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" Ryou murmured, straightening.

"Okay then…"

* * *

Ryou shivered. They had managed to find an abandoned place to spend the night, but it was in the middle of nowhere. Bakura was curled up in one corner, asleep.

Ryou sighed, sleep well out of reach. He sighed, pulling his legs up to his chest, resting his head upon his knees. He tried to ignore the pain that seemed to be growing, along with the hunger that was beginning to claw at him.

"…What's wrong?"

Ryou lifted his head, seeing Bakura staring at him. He sighed, sitting up and removing his second jacket, the blood-soaked, cut one now visible. He threw the jacket to Ryou, who managed to catch it, but looked up at Bakura as if not wanting to take it.

"Go ahead. It's obvious you're freezing. I'll be fine, okay?" He said with a grin.

Ryou slipped it on, allowing a small smile to cross his lips. To his surprise, Bakura got up and sat down next to him. "Well, you probably wouldn't be so cold if you weren't so skinny," he said with a chuckle.

"Shut up," Ryou said with a frown. "It's not my fault!"

Silence soon settled in.

Bakura glanced over, seeing Ryou asleep. He hesitated, but decided to check in the morning.

* * *

"Take off your shoes."

"…Why?"

"There's a reason you were limping yesterday."

Ryou bit his lip, but did as he was told, freezing at the redness of his ankle.

"Frostbite," Bakura said with a frown.

Ryou put his shoes back on. "No wonder you were limping. How bad does it hurt?"

"…It just hurts," Ryou said quietly.

"Then we have to hurry up. The snow is only going to make it worse. I guess I'll have to carry you…"

"I can walk," Ryou protested.

"No you can't. Besides, if you're elevated, it won't get worse as easily. Now come on."

* * *

Bakura felt Ryou dig his fingers into his shoulders. The boy was on his back, rather light, which he was happy for. He could feel Ryou pressing closer, his fingers sinking in. "It hurts, Bakura…"

"I know. Calm down, okay? We'll be there soon." _I hope so, anyway. I don't even know how far we've gone…_

He could feel Ryou trembling against him, curling his fingers even further into Bakura's shoulders. The demon let him, trudging through the snow, which was well over his knees by now. He felt the pain pulse in his sides, trying his best to ignore it.

"…Hey…Ryou, I can see light…"

No response.

The demon struggled to quicken his pace, feeling Ryou's trembling turn into shaking. He grabbed the handle of the nearest building and slammed the door open, nearly ripping it off of its hinges.

A few turned and stared; Bakura merely glared at them with hate in his eyes. With Ryou still on his back Bakura moved to the desk that sat close by, instantly questioning the person that sat there.

"…The hospital is at least two miles away. But I don't think you'll make it in time; there's going to be a blizzard pretty soon."

Bakura clenched his teeth. He glanced to his right, seeing Ryou's head seated on his shoulder. "Whatever," he growled, stomping off.

_I have to get help for Ryou. If it keeps getting worse then they may have to… No. Quit thinking like that. I can make it. I can make it…_

Bakura managed to snag a warm drink for Ryou, forcing him to drink the entire glass. Ryou was drifting in and out now, constantly either dozing or falling out of consciousness on Bakura's back.

The demon walked as quickly as he could, but the deepening snow made it difficult. The wind began to pick up, howling in Bakura's ears. He felt Ryou shudder; he took him off his back, now carrying him in his arms. He held Ryou close to him, feeling him shivering in his hands.

Bakura watched the snow gradually increase, the wind shrieking, seeming to claw at his face. The boy in his arms was shaking madly now; Bakura hugged the body closer, feeling Ryou shivering against his side.

The demon growled aloud, struggling to walk now, the snow overall too deep. Annoyed, Bakura merely kept making his way through, gritting his teeth at the way his face was beginning to burn from the wind.

He knew he was weakened from it all. Ryou wasn't much of a difference; he was just weaker at the moment than Bakura was. The demon stumbled as the wind gushed at him, snow erasing his vision. There was nothing but darkness about him now.

He growled again, trying to regain his footing; he was only knocked to the side by the elements about him, causing him to fall. Bakura sat there a minute, merely staring off at the darkness. _Get up. You have to keep going. If you don't you'll both die. _Bakura thought silently, shaking his head and forcing himself to his feet. As he stood he was almost knocked right back down again. With a snarl he forced himself forward.

He felt Ryou shaking madly. It was the only thing he _could _feel at the moment. He was numb.

_I can make it. Just hold on a little longer, Ryou…_

Bakura felt it growing colder, the elements growing stronger. It was hard to walk straight; the wind kept shoving him off course. The snow had blinded him completely now; he couldn't even see the boy in his arms.

_Crap. It's only getting worse… At this rate…_

He shook the thoughts away, struggling to keep his footing. He felt his legs growing heavy, his body weak. But he forced himself to keep walking. He growled as he realized he was walking uphill; it was only sucking up more of his strength.

He stood at the top of the hill for a moment, staring off. He could see light: a speck of it. _Almost there…_

He went forward; his footing went out, and he fell heavily to the ground, his body violently rolling down. He hugged Ryou closer, closing his eyes to avoid the world spinning.

It all stopped.

He eased his eyes open. He had rolled completely downhill. Ryou was still in his possession; Bakura noticed how pale he had gotten. He forced himself to his feet, almost collapsing as the wind shoved him.

The light was brighter now.

Bakura staggered, his legs not willing to move. Forcing himself on, he could feel his body weakening steadily. He growled, forcing himself to take a jump. The takeoff was shaky; he fought to maintain airborne and struggled to remain on course. He lost track of how long he was in the air.

His strength ran out.

His wings went out; Bakura fell with a heavy thud to the ground. He struggled to stand up. _I have…to keep going…_

He managed to get halfway up before the wind violently pushed him, knocking him off his feet and into the snow. _I…have…to…_

He heard Ryou whimper. He tried again to stand. He managed, only to fall to his knees. He struggled to get back up.

He fell.

His body collapsed, Bakura landing on his side in the snow. The energy and strength was gone…

Bakura watched the black increase about him, the wind seeming to howl now. He felt snow falling upon his body, but did nothing to get it off. His eyes fell closed.

…_Ryou…_

Bakura's grip remained tight on Ryou, the boy still in his arms.

Neither moved.

…_I'm sorry…_

Bakura lifted his head slightly, his body stiffening as he tried to stand. His head only fell back against the ground, his body going limp.

Darkness engulfed him.

* * *

Chapter 10 : End.


	11. The Truth?

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 11: The Truth?

* * *

"_Outside…" … "…Dead…" … "Two…"_

Bakura could hear the voices, but they were faint and muffled. He didn't open his eyes. He made sure not to make any movement.

He forced his eyes open. He found himself lying down on his side on the floor. His side burned with pain, his body a mixture of heat and deathly cold. He couldn't feel any part of his body except the area about the stitches in his sides. He found that he was incapable of any movement whatsoever.

…_Wait…we're inside?_

He looked about, noticing that they were now inside. He sat bolt upright, only to regret it as pain shot through his body and his bones cracked. He let out a gasp, feeling a wave of dizziness occur.

He could hear people murmuring now. He ignored it, trying to stand. He managed to get up on shaky legs, only to fall back down instantly.

"Sit down, Bakura."

Bakura threw a glance over his shoulder, freezing. "Marik? What are you-?"

"I followed you. Knowing you and your idiot self you'd get into trouble."

Bakura held back from the insult. "…How'd you find us?"

"I was the one who gave you directions, remember?" Marik shook his head. "When I got to the next place over the blizzard started up. I found out from some of the people there; from their descriptions; that you left not even half an hour ago. Knowing you went by foot, it was obvious you got caught in the storm. But, unlike you, I waited until the storm died before going out." He allowed a smirk to pass his face. "And guess what I found?"

Bakura didn't respond.

"Two bodies in the snow not even a quarter of a mile from the hospital. Anyway. I thought you were dead at first. There was at least half an inch of snow piled on you. And you were still holding on to that weakling."

Bakura gritted his teeth. "Is he okay?"

Marik shrugged. "Don't know, and I don't really care. But he's breathing."

"Where is he?"

"In the back room."

Bakura traveled down the hallway, nearly collapsing several times. He swung the door open, noticing it was empty. He stood there a minute, about to leave when he heard a voice. "…B…Bakura…?"

Bakura stepped into the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. "…Bakura…?" The voice came again, quiet and weak from the bed. Bakura walked over to the bed, swinging himself into a chair.

A few blankets covered the bed and Ryou's form, the sheets drawn up to his chest. Bakura could tell the heat in the room was on high. Ryou's eyes flickered, opening a little. Bakura could see the fogginess that churned inside of the orbs.

"…Ryou…hey, it's me…can you hear me…?"

The angel smiled slightly. "Yes…"

Silence. Ryou suddenly spoke up. "…Bakura…I…I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"…I…I'm being a burden…" Ryou looked away. "All of this…it's my fault…"

"No you're not…" Bakura frowned. "Ryou, the guilt is on both of us. Don't worry about it, all right?"

"…Okay…"

Bakura heard the door open. He turned to see Marik with his head in the doorway. "Come on. Dinner's on me tonight."

* * *

"I never knew you could eat so much…" Ryou commented.

"You should see him after a week. He eats more than four people put together." Marik grinned, directing his comment to Ryou now. "The way this is going, you're probably going to have to work out or something. Bakura's probably going to be too heavy to carry…" He chuckled. "I'm probably going to be broke after this, too…"

Bakura threw him a glare. He silently kicked Marik from under the table, as hard as he could; Marik yelped aloud. "Serves you right," Bakura growled. "And I hope that hurts later on."

"Still just as selfish and hateful as ever…" Marik muttered, rolling his eyes.

Ryou spoke up then. "…Umm…can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Umm…do you…believe in that other place everyone is talking about?"

"…I guess so. But it's probably just wishful thinking, kid."

Ryou was silent.

"You sure did pick a strange one, Bakura."

"Hey, he's been helpful more than enough times, so shut it," Bakura muttered. He pointed to Ryou with a knife in hand, "He can't fight or anything, but the kid can heal. Pretty good, too."

"N-No-" Ryou stammered.

"Oh, come on. You know you're good at it…"

Ryou merely stared down at the table.

"I think you're embarrassing him, Bakura."

It got them both roaring with laughter.

"Anyway…" Bakura cleared his throat. "Do you have any plans?"

"Not yet. But we need to think of something. Pretty soon the war will just become a tie…and then, as usual, another one will occur in less than two years."

Bakura nodded. "But we need to be sure to get hold of that idiot of a leader this time."

"Wait. 'This time'?" Ryou questioned.

"Yeah. This isn't the first time we've tried to overthrow the Leaders," Bakura replied with a snicker.

Ryou's expression proved that he was confused.

Bakura sighed. "Okay. For normal situations…there's an angel party, and a demon party. Each party has a leader. The angel party has an angel for a leader, the same for demons, and so on."

"Who are you trying to overthrow?" Ryou asked.

"Well, we don't know what class he is. He doesn't have wings. No fangs and no other features…so we don't know. But trust me, Ryou, we have our reasons."

"…What's the guy's name?"

The two demons locked gazes for a second. Bakura spoke up. "Nah, it's best if you don't know yet."

"That's not fair…"

"Who ever said I played fair, Ryou?" Bakura replied with a snicker, ruffling Ryou's hair. Ryou desperately tried to flatten his hair, a blush running across his cheeks.

"Oh. I have a favor to ask. The kid has frostbite." Bakura said.

"Hmm. Well, the treatment depends on how severe it is." He looked at Ryou. "How bad does it hurt?"

Ryou hesitated. "…I can't feel anything. My body is numb…"

"It's probably worse now, Bakura. I don't know how long you two were out there. But I can start treating him tonight."

"Fine." Bakura looked at Ryou. "Go ahead and go to bed. We'll wake you up when it's time, all right?"

Ryou nodded silently, getting up and leaving the room. The two demons watched him leave.

"Now we can talk about business," Bakura said with a grin.

* * *

Bakura traveled back down the corridor, a pitcher of hot water in hand. He paused at the doorway, hearing noise. A cry passed through the door; Bakura swung the door open.

"How is he?" Bakura asked, setting the object down on the side table.

"Well, it's not too severe…he's got some damage though. Some medication, rest up for a day or two, he'll be fine."

Bakura shook his head. "The kid's got more luck than I've ever seen."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, nothing…you wouldn't get it anyway," Bakura replied with a grin. He looked at Ryou. "…Is he awake?"

"Barely."

Bakura sat down on the edge of the bed. The angel was underneath a heavy blanket, which was drawn up to his neck. His hair was slightly hanging over his eyes, which were closed. He was breathing heavily. "Ryou?"

The boy's eyes opened. He stared at Bakura for a few seconds; then a smile crept onto his face. "Hi…"

"Hey. How're you feeling?"

"…Fine…" Ryou replied quietly. He looked tired. "…It doesn't hurt anymore…" The smile disappeared as his eyes drifted shut.

Bakura turned to Marik. "What'd you do?"

"Well, it was pretty easy. I just had to have him gain some more heat. I gave him some medication, but the side effects would force him to stay awake all night. So I gave him a shot."

"…A shot?"

"Yeah. Why the kid was spacing out I jabbed him in the arm. Don't worry about it, though. The most it will do is knock him unconscious for the night. Trust me. I use it all the time."

"If you say so…"

* * *

It was morning. The two demons were seated in the room next door. "…I still don't see why you're helping someone as weak as him, Bakura."

"He's been helping me, so I promised to help him in return."

"So now you're stooping so low as to repay an angel for helping you out?"

"Back off. You don't understand."

"Oh? From the way you're acting, Bakura, it seems you actually care about what happens to that boy…"

"No, I don't. I could care less about him. There are only two reasons while I'm still keeping him around. One: to get what I need. And two: To repay my debt. No other reasons."

"Are you lying to me, Bakura…?"

"No." Bakura narrowed his eyes. "I don't _care _about Ryou! If he didn't heal me in the first place, I would've killed him by now. Marik…the boy is pathetic. He has no purpose. He has no use for me. He's a burden on me. I was the one who had to save his sorry hide at the Ceremony. The child was too weak, too idiotic to escape on his own. He can't fight! Such worthlessness…"

They never noticed the figure hiding about the doorframe.

Bakura stopped. He could feel it… He turned, freezing at the sight of Ryou hiding in the doorway. He got up, "Ryou, wait-"

The angel turned and ran.

Bakura quickly went to the door and stuck his head out of the frame to see Ryou turn the corner. He felt something stir in his stomach; he recognized it as guilt.

_Ryou…_

* * *

Chapter 11 : End.


	12. Trying to Reason

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 12: Trying to Reason

* * *

Tears raced down his cheeks, the substance dripping to the floor. Ryou whimpered softly, drawing his legs up even further to his chest. The room was silent except for the sound of his cries. Ryou placed his head upon his knees, his shoulders starting to shake again as fresh sobs racked through his body.

"…Ryou…?" The voice came through the door Ryou was leaning on. The boy didn't respond. "Can I come in…?"

"No. Go away," Ryou muttered.

"But I need to talk to you…"

"You've already said enough, Bakura. You've said _plenty."_

"But-"

"GO AWAY!" Ryou yelled, breaking instantly back into tears. There was only silence on the other side of the door. "…I hate you. I HATE YOU!" The angel screamed, more tears racing down his cheeks.

"Ryou, please…I didn't mean it…"

"Oh _sure _you didn't! Why should I believe you? And that's coming from someone like you…" The boy took a quivering breath. "I should've listened to Malik in the first place. He was right about you, Bakura. You're just like the rest of your kind…heartless _things. _I should've guessed you didn't care about me. After all, you're a _demon… _And guess what? I'm sick of it. You're just like everyone else; people that just pretended to be my friend to get what they want! You never cared about me at all; you're just using me! Using me for your own little sick purposes…"

No response.

"…Now go away. I don't want to look at you or speak to you ever again…"

* * *

"_I hate you."_

Bakura stood outside of the door, hesitant. He heard no sound. He silently took the handle and swung the door open, stepping into the darkened room. He crept silently over to the bed, standing there for a few minutes, staring down at the motionless form upon it.

"…Ryou…I didn't mean it…" Bakura said quietly, watching the boy roll over onto his side in his sleep. "…I…I just…" The demon trailed off into silence. Ryou shuddered, snuggling deeper under the covers, one hand curling about the edge of his pillow.

Bakura silently sat down in the chair beside the bed, watching Ryou begin to toss and turn in his sleep. A small cry passed from the angel as his fingers tightened on the pillow. Bakura blinked in the dark, silently placing his hands on Ryou's shoulders.

Silence.

_A soft whimper passed through his throat. He dropped to his knees, his tear-filled eyes staring at the almost completely abandoned landscape. The ground was soaked with rain, the sky a dull black. The eyes grew even wider at the sight of the forms lying on the ground. The boy looked down at the sidewalk, seeing the chalk creations destroyed, blood now covering the white concrete instead of the colorful designs created by the children. Broken windows and blood-covered walls lined the streets. A hand grabbed his arm, dragging him back towards the door. The smaller boy in the grasp made no reaction, brown eyes wide, now spilling tears._

"…_Mum…why did they do it…? Why did they kill each other…?"_

_No response._

Bakura tightened his grip on the boy's shoulders. The angel in grasp moved slightly, another whimper passing his lips as Bakura's fingers dug into his shoulders.

"_What am I…?"_

_The hand brushed lightly over the glass, leaving behind a light smear of blood. Bloodied wings were hanging at neck level; white feathers dyed slight red. Ryou glanced back over his shoulder into the empty hallway._

A light moan came from Ryou, the boy stirring. Bakura opened his eyes as he felt the dreams shatter, seeing Ryou move again in his grip. The demon released his grip on his shoulders, retreating from the room as Ryou groaned. Bakura quickly left to the hallway, Ryou now opening his eyes.

Ryou ran a hand through his hair, sitting upright and glancing about the darkened room through tired eyes. _I thought… _Ryou shook his head, lying back down. _I guess I just imagined it…_

Silence. Ryou sighed aloud suddenly, getting up and walking towards the door. _Maybe if I drink something it'll help me sleep-_

The angel stopped, seeing something on the door in the dark. He frowned, taking it in his hands. Switching on the lamp he saw it as a sheet of paper that was previously tapped to the door.

"_What do I have to do…to prove to you…I didn't mean it? What do I have to do…to prove to you…that I'm sorry…?"_

Ryou frowned at the note. A sigh passed as he set the note down on the desk, merely leaving the room. _Now he's trying to tell me he's sorry; that he didn't mean it. Yeah right. He sounded plenty serious to me when he was talking to his little demon friend…_

Ryou paused in the hallway, seeing the door to the room open. He peered through the crack, seeing the room bathed in darkness. But he could see the form sitting silently in a chair in the center of the room. He heard a muffled cry, hearing a scratching noise now. He saw the form shift; Ryou quickly continued to walk down the corridor.

…_He's just like everyone else. Malik was right… He never cared about me. Every single person acts the same. They just use me. …I should've let them kill me at that Ceremony…_

Ryou paused as he spotted a mirror hanging upon the wall. He glanced into the glass, gently tracing his reflection with his fingers. "…What am I…?" He murmured to himself, stiffening slightly. "…What kind of normal person has two different colored wings…? What kind of angel has a white _and _black wing? And what kind of angel actually believed a demon could've changed a life? That a demon could've changed for the better?"

Ryou felt tears rising in his eyes. "…He's right. I am an idiot…" Ryou stared at the reflection. "…I am pathetic…I don't have a purpose, no use for anyone…a burden…" Ryou glanced down at his hands. "…I'm weak…and I am worthless…" Tears spilled from his eyes.

"…Ryou…?"

Ryou gasped slightly, turning with tear-filled eyes to find Bakura standing behind him. "…Are you all right?"

"…No. Please, just leave me alone."

"…Fine…" Bakura sighed, stepping closer to the angel. "…But I wanted to give you something first."

Ryou stared at him as Bakura slid a folded sheet of paper into his fingers. Ryou spotted crimson.

"…Are you bleeding…?"

"Hmm?" Bakura glanced at his wrist, seeing blood dripping to the floor. "Oh, this? It's nothing." The demon grinned, turning on his heel. "Bye."

Ryou watched him go back down the hallway, glancing down at the slip of paper in his hand. The white was dotted with what Ryou identified as blood.

Bakura's grin faded as he turned away and started to go back down the corridor. He could feel Ryou watching him as he walked. The demon raised his hand slightly, staring at the blood that oozed from his wrist.

* * *

Ryou unfolded the sheet of paper, sitting in the bed. Bloodstains were all over the white sheet, but as Ryou got to the part that was written on, he stopped. Red ink…

"…_Do you understand now? I didn't mean any of those things I said, Ryou. I swear I didn't mean to hurt you… I care more than you think. I saved you because I care. The only reason I said those things is because Marik was there. Please, Ryou…believe me… I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I'm sorry. I understand how much it hurts. And I'm sorry that I caused that hurt._

…_An apology isn't nearly enough, is it? It's not enough to make you forgive me, nor can it heal the hurt. But what can I do to prove to you that I'm sorry? What can I do to prove I didn't mean it? What can I do to prove to you that I care?_

…_The ink…isn't really ink, Ryou. That's how much I'm trying to prove. Writing a letter to you in my own blood…is it enough? …Probably not._

_I can understand the hate you're feeling now. Please, just let me in. Even a little. Let me prove it to you._

_Ryou…you're not any of those things I said before. I heard you in the hallway. All of those things you were saying…none of them were true. And the whole black and white wing thing…it just proves you're unique. But if you don't like the way they look, I can help change the color back to white._

_I'm not asking you to forgive me for what I've done. All I'm asking is for a chance to explain…for you to believe me. You can get your revenge. I'll let you. Throw your hate…make me bleed, Ryou. If that's what it takes to let the hate ease even slightly, then fine. Go ahead._

…_I do care, Ryou…even if you don't believe me._

_-Bakura."_

Ryou stared down at the note in his hands. Tears slowly began to swell in his chocolate orbs; he brushed them away. _He's so desperate…to prove he's sorry…even if it means having me hurt him back… And the reason he was bleeding…he cut himself…just so he could write me this with his blood?_

…_I'm sorry too, Bakura, but…but it hurts… It hurts so _much…_how can you possibly understand my pain?_

Ryou stood, pushing the door open to the room. Ryou saw someone look up at him, standing and brushing past Ryou, leading the angel back into the hallway. He shut the door behind. "…Then you read it?" Bakura asked in a quiet voice.

"…Yeah…" Ryou replied, staring at the floor. "But…how can you understand?"

"Have you forgotten?" Bakura said, staring at Ryou right in the eyes. "Have you forgotten my past, Ryou?"

"I…"

"I've dealt with pain more times than you probably ever will. I understand more than anyone!" Bakura yelled, grabbing Ryou's shirt. Ryou stared wide-eyed up at Bakura. He put a hand over Bakura's, trying to remove it. Bakura growled quietly, releasing Ryou and turning so that his back was to him.

Silence.

Ryou spoke up in a quiet voice. "…You cut yourself…and then wrote that letter with your own blood?"

"So what if I did?"

"But…didn't it hurt…?"

"No. Not really." Bakura leaned on the wall, staring at the bandage about his wrist. "…Over your lifetime, if you've been cut a lot of times, the harder the cut gets, the more it stings. But the more it happens, the less it hurts. Does that answer your question?"

"…Yes…" Ryou replied quietly.

"…Then why are you here?" Bakura asked, not even looking up.

"I…I wanted to talk to you…"

"About?"

"Umm…" Ryou stammered, staring at the floor. Bakura sighed, pushing himself from the wall and taking Ryou's chin in his hand, forcing him to look up. "…Spit it out," Bakura growled.

"…About everything…" Ryou said quietly. Bakura released him; Ryou jerked, quickly looking back down at the floor.

"…Fine. But let's go to your room…"

Ryou smiled, feeling tears creep into his eyes. He pushed the sense away, quickly leading Bakura to the darkened room he used.

* * *

Chapter 12 : End.


	13. Pain & Goodbye?

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 13: Pain & Goodbye?

* * *

There was utter silence for the longest time. Bakura and Ryou were sitting across from each other, both completely silent. Ryou raised his eyes from the floor, seeing Bakura staring at the bandage that was tied about his wrist. "…Bakura?"

The demon didn't respond.

"Bakura," Ryou said again, louder this time, changing his tone a little. Bakura didn't even raise his head. "…What?"

"…Are you okay?"

"…I'm fine," Bakura murmured, still staring at his wrist.

_He's acting really weird…is he hiding something from me? _Ryou blinked, speaking up once more. "Are you sure? You seem a bit…"

"I said I'm _fine_." Bakura muttered, his voice hardening. Ryou flinched.

Silence again.

"…Bakura…I know how much you're trying to prove yourself. I know how much you're trying. But…something inside of me just…hurts so much…and I want to let you in like before, but…something inside of me doesn't want to…" Ryou trailed off into silence.

"…I understand." Bakura said quietly. "…It's fine. I don't blame you." The demon stood, still not looking at Ryou, and went to the door. Ryou stood up as well, "Bakura wait-"

The demon froze, his hand clutching the door handle. "…Ryou…maybe it is best if you don't forgive me…if you don't want to let me back in. It may only cause more problems."

"…What are you saying…?"

"What I'm saying is…maybe we should just…go our separate ways. Maybe it's best if we never see each other again…" Bakura finally looked at Ryou then.

…_Bakura…_

Ryou opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Bakura closed his eyes for a long time, reopening them after a while and leaving the room without another word.

Ryou merely stared at the open door.

_Bakura… He looked so upset… And his eyes were so full of pain and sadness when he said that… He even looked lonely when he left the room…_

_I've never seen him cry...is it possible Bakura's never shed tears before? It looks like all that stuff is pulling him to the edge...his eyes show it all. And I can understand what he feels... But is it all bottled up inside? And if it is, why doesn't he just try to talk with someone? And if it's all bottled up, doesn't that just cause more pain? And if there's so much pain...how come he never cries?_

* * *

Bakura remained silent, staring at his wrist. The bandage was crumpled up on the bed, the cut now visible. It was healing, his wrist showing some dried blood.

Bakura's eyes were clouded up, a blank look on his face. As if he was dead… "…Ryou…" The demon murmured, the name slipping through his throat in a whisper. _I'm so sorry…_

He heard the door open. "…Are you coming?"

"Yeah," Bakura muttered, standing up and exiting the room behind Marik. _But it's for the best, Ryou…_

"Give me a second." Bakura stopped in front of Ryou's door, going inside and up to the bed. Ryou was breathing deeply; he turned onto his side, a small whimper easing through his throat. "…I'm sorry…but it's for the best…I don't want to cause anymore trouble…nor do I want to hurt you…"

Bakura sighed, going to the door, taking a brief second to tape a sheet of paper to the door before exiting the room.

A few minutes later Ryou's eyes snapped open, gasping. He quickly ran to the door, noticing a sheet of paper. _No…No, please don't let it be…_

Ryou swallowed as he switched on the desk lamp.

"…_Ryou…I'm so sorry…but it's for the best. I'm leaving. I don't want to cause any more trouble…I don't want to hurt you anymore…_

_I still care, Ryou. That's why I left. For you…so I couldn't cause you to break again…_

_I'm sorry…but this is goodbye._

_-Bakura."_

Ryou stood there for a few minutes. His heart started to race, each beat making his chest ache. Tears formed in his eyes. "…Bakura…"

Ryou dropped the note, racing out of the room, darting down the hall, searching through the halls. No sign of the demon.

Ryou stopped at the front entrance, seeing a black feather lying on the tiled floor. Tears slowly moved down Ryou's cheeks as Ryou picked up the feather from the floor, holding it close. "…You can't…you can't be gone, Bakura…" Ryou shut his eyes, more tears racing down his cheeks. "Please…don't let it be true…"

* * *

Bakura turned on his heel, continuing to walk. His eyes clouded a little as he kept going. _…Ryou…what are you going to do now?_

Bakura frowned, stopping suddenly and looking over his shoulder. _…I feel something… Am I just imagining it?_

The demon shook his head, continuing to walk. _"…I think it's stupid how they don't allow us to associate with one another. I mean…not everyone argues. Some of us can get along with Others, right?" _Ryou's comment projected itself through his mind. Bakura growled quietly, shaking his head again. _Why can't I just forget about that kid?_

Bakura sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. "Having another memory flood, eh?" Marik commented with a grin. Bakura merely ignored him. "…I seriously need a drink…"

"Now you're going against the rules, hmm?"

"Look, I don't really care when they say the fighters can't drink. Besides, I'm not really a person of the war anymore, remember?"

"How could I forget…?"

He pushed the door open, stepping inside, his vision blurring slightly at the light change. He stood there a second, but Marik began to lead the way. The demon blinked, following him up to the counter.

* * *

"Don't you understand now, Bakura? If you spend time with a person, the memories will carve themselves in. And then when you try to leave, the memories will haunt."

Bakura didn't respond.

"…You can always try things to try to forget…but unless you come down with memory loss or something, the memories will only come back."

The demon sighed loudly. "…Getting drunk can help for a while, though, at the very least…"

Marik blinked at him, then looked at the empty glass next to Bakura's arm. "…Then I'm guessing you want another?"

"…Yeah."

* * *

"Well, I know you're going to be feeling all of that tomorrow," Marik commented. "And apparently we can't leave tonight since _someone _drank too much…"

"I did not," Bakura growled, but he failed to sound serious; his tone had shifted into a rather weird one.

"Yes you did." Marik sighed aloud. "I had to rent one of the rooms upstairs for the night," he said, leading the way to the room. Bakura followed him.

"Now go to sleep."

* * *

Ryou felt some stares as he wandered inside. He spotted a feather on the floor; lifting it, to find it black. Ryou brushed past some people and up to the counter. "…Umm…was there a guy here that looks kind of like me?"

The guy blinked at Ryou. "…Actually, yeah. He was with some guy; they rented a room upstairs for the night. Apparently the guy you're looking for had way too many drinks to be going anywhere."

Ryou asked for the room number, going up the stairs and stopping in front of the door. Taking a deep, shaky breath he knocked on the wooden structure.

Silence. He heard footsteps suddenly; the door swung open. "What do you-" Bakura stopped at the sight of Ryou standing there. "…What are you doing here?"

"…Looking for you…" Ryou said quietly.

"Who is it?" Ryou recognized the source of the voice as Marik.

Bakura didn't respond, leaning on the doorway. "Why did you follow me? And what happened to you?"

Ryou didn't respond. His clothes were ripped in several places, his face having some scratches. Ryou's body was shaking, his face paler than normal. Blood was staining his hair and parts of his clothes. Bakura saw blood oozing from his hands, finding them cut.

Ryou finally said in a quiet voice, "You said you didn't want to hurt me again… But when you left without telling me; that hurt so much. And don't you realize that if you leave, the memories will still remain, which will only cause more pain?"

Bakura didn't answer. "…Why don't you just leave, Ryou?"

"What are you saying…?"

"I already told you before! We don't need to be around each other anymore…"

"…I can't believe you. I came all this way, looking for you…and then you try to shut me out?"

Bakura didn't answer at first. "Just go home, Ryou…"

"Home? What home? I DON'T HAVE A HOME ANYMORE!" Ryou screamed, tears springing into his eyes.

"Tears won't solve anything, Ryou…"

"How can I not cry right now, Bakura? You're slamming the door right in my face after I came so far to look for you…"

"…I never told you to come after me." Bakura replied.

Ryou strained to keep back the tears. "Well guess what? I did come looking for you, even without you telling me. Because I care… It's obvious you don't care, Bakura. Even your note was a lie. If you cared, then you wouldn't have left! If you cared, you wouldn't be saying what you're saying now!"

"…I just want you to leave, Ryou…"

Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou lunged at him, tackling Bakura to the floor. Ryou held him down; eyes narrowed slightly, tears starting to trickle down his paled cheeks. "I'll show you what if feels like, you sick, heartless _thing…"_

Bakura's eyes widened further as Ryou punched him in the jaw. Bakura growled, kicking Ryou, sending the boy to the floor. Ryou merely came right back and hit him again. The fighting continued for a few minutes until Marik pulled Ryou off of Bakura.

"Let go of me!" Ryou screamed, struggling now.

"Kid, just leave. Bakura told you in the first place; he never had friends. So why would he start making them at this age?"

Ryou stopped struggling. His head lowered slightly so that his bangs fell over his eyes. "…But…"

"Just leave us alone, Ryou." Bakura muttered, standing up.

Tears began to race from Ryou's eyes. He shoved Marik away, going up to Bakura. "Why are you pushing me away? You said-"

"…Ryou. Go. Home." Bakura said flatly.

Ryou stood there a second, frozen. His heart began to ache with each beat. "Bakura…"

"Go." Both of the demons said in union.

Ryou turned away, heading towards the stairs. But he stopped. "…Bakura…I hope you know I've figured something out from all this… Malik was right. All of you demons are the same monsters." Ryou looked over his shoulder, glaring at mostly Bakura. He started down the stairs. Bakura heard his words drift upwards. "So screw you both."

* * *

Chapter 13 : End.


	14. Reasoning, Confusion, A Change?

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 14: Reasoning, Confusion, A Change?

* * *

"What are you talking about?"

"The smaller boy who looks just like you. He didn't same names or anything, so I don't know. But he wanted me to give you this."

Bakura's expression turned puzzled as he took the folded sheet of paper, walking away, opening the sheet up.

"_I just wanted to let you know I left. Not that you probably care, but oh well._

_Going home? You wish I would. I told you before; I don't have a home anymore. Maybe I'll just wander around until someone kills me one night while I'm asleep or when I'm drifting during the day._

_I just have one question left for you, Bakura. If you saw me dying, what would you do?_

_Good-bye._

_-Ryou."_

Bakura sighed loudly, refolding the sheet and slipping it into his back pocket. Marik appeared, coming up to Bakura. "Ready?"

"I guess so…"

Bakura led the way outside, stopping suddenly. There was blood dotting the snow. Bakura recognized the tracks as Ryou's, picking up the white feather on the ground.

"I have to go back to the hospital."

"…I'm just going to wander around a bit…"

"Okay then. See you later maybe," Marik said with a grin, turning and starting to go off. Bakura watched him go, looking down at the feather in his hand. He slipped it into his jacket pocket, following the trail.

* * *

_Now what am I supposed to do? I don't have anything else…there's no one left… There's nothing else for me to live for…_

Ryou rested his head on his knees, his legs brought up to his chest. He pushed the sudden crying sense away, merely staring at the ground. _If I die…then maybe things will be easier elsewhere… And even if I kept trying, he'd probably just shove me away again…_

Ryou shuddered, drawing the jacket closer. He could hear footsteps, making him flinch. He could hear them growing louder. Uncomfortably he stood; about to run when he felt something collide with his head, making the world go black.

* * *

Ryou stirred, moaning aloud as his eyes eased open. His head was pounding with pain. _Where am I…? What's going on…?_

Ryou finally let his gaze shift, noticing the ground moving beneath him. He managed to lift his head, freezing at the person he found. "…_Malik?"_

"…So you're awake…"

"What are you doing? Put me down!"

"I can't do that," the other said with a sigh. "…They picked me to bring you back, Ryou…"

"…W…Why?"

"To finish up what they already started."

"…B…But…"

"It's my job, Ryou. If I turned them down, they would've killed me on the spot. Other than that…they're probably going to upgrade the Form due to you and that friend of yours escaping…"

Ryou didn't respond. He merely stared at the ground, watching an occasional feather drift down from the other's wings. _It's like I told him…things only went downhill…further and further… How much further can I go down? …I've already lost my family, my job, Malik, Bakura…and now basically the only friend I've ever had is dragging me back to the campus for my death…_

Ryou sighed aloud, letting his eyes drift shut.

* * *

Ryou snapped back into the real world suddenly, hearing a scream. He felt himself fall to the ground, the area spinning. Shakily, he managed to sit upright, flinching as he heard the agonized cry again.

His gaze shifted, seeing Malik drop to his knees. Ryou's eyes caught blood, leaking down Malik's chest, visible through the cut uniform. _What's going on?_

Ryou's eyes widened, a gasp passing his lips as crimson eyes flashed in front of him. He felt something seize his shirt collar, dragging him effortlessly off the ground. Ryou looked up quickly, flinching at the blood red orbs that stared down at him. Ryou blinked, confused. _What's happening?_

Ryou glanced at the ground, which was moving past quickly. It was dark now, but the moon was allowing plenty of light. Ryou felt the grip shift to his arms. He swallowed uneasily, shifting nervously. He stopped as he heard a growling voice. "Hold still…"

Ryou let out a small sigh of relief as the ground grew closer. He felt the grip disappear; with a gasp, he sunk to the ground. He could feel his heart racing with fright in his chest. Ryou flinched as he felt something touch his shoulder. He inched away slightly, trying not to make eye contact.

"…Ryou…Ryou, it's me…"

Ryou lifted his head slowly, staring at the person that was crouching next to him. "…Bakura?"

The demon nodded.

Ryou turned away, putting his head on his knees, legs brought up to his chest. "…Why? What's your problem? You said…you said you just wanted me to leave…and now you're following me…"

"Ryou…"

"Shut up…just leave me alone…" Ryou dug his fingers into his jeans. "You have no clue what you've done…"

"…Ryou, please…" Bakura protested, grabbing Ryou's shoulder.

"LET GO!" Ryou screamed, tearing himself from his grip. Ryou whimpered softly, tears pricking into his eyes.

"…Ryou." Ryou shuddered at his tone, which had flattened from the usual hardness. "…Listen to me…please. Just listen to me…"

"…Why should I?" Ryou asked in a quiet voice. "Maybe then you'll know how I felt…when I was trying to convince you, and you just pushed me away. You and your little demon friend telling me to go home…"

"…I'm sorry…"

"…So? You said that the first time…and then you proved you were just lying the entire time. You told me you cared, you told me you were sorry…but you only proved how much you lie. You only proved to me how heartless you really are, how much demonic blood you have inside of you, how…" Ryou shook his head, the tears in his eyes flowing now.

"…Haven't you noticed yet, Ryou?" Bakura asked in a quiet tone. "…Haven't you realized how different we really are? People that are different are going to fight like this, believe me. But if you let one crack let you shatter, then it's all over. Let it heal, get back up and keep trying, Ryou…"

"That's just it. You don't understand. You just don't understand… Why do I need to keep going? What do I have left? Nothing. I have _nothing_, Bakura… Other than that…my life broke a long time ago, you know that…"

"…You don't know that. Things can turn around…"

"No they can't…why would things suddenly brighten for me? Life just kept going down, I told you that before. Do you have any idea how much it would take to restore that?"

"…Yes…I do. Do you not remember my past, Ryou? Both of us have had it rough. So why do you keep saying I don't understand? How do you think I felt? How do you think I feel now?"

Ryou didn't answer, keeping his eyes averted. Bakura growled, grabbing Ryou's shoulders. "Look at me." Nothing. "_Look _at me, Ryou."

Ryou did so slowly, seeing Bakura's crimson eyes narrowed. Ryou struggled to hold back the tears, quickly looking away. "…Please…just let go of me…"

"No. Now _look _at me!" Bakura grabbed Ryou's chin with his right hand, keeping his left curled about Ryou's thin shoulders. Ryou tried again to look away; Bakura made sure to make him keep looking at him. "…I understand, all right? I'm sorry…about everything. I swear I never meant any of it, I never meant to hurt you, Ryou… Sometimes I just…" Bakura trailed off into silence, releasing Ryou, instantly looking away. After a long time Bakura spoke again. "…I've always been considered either heartless or having a heart of ice… Once the massacre, my emotions died with me. And I just forgot what emotions were… They had to rebuilt themselves…and I don't really…know what feelings truly are… The only things I can feel…is that bitterness…that revenge…that hate…nothing more…"

Ryou blinked, seeing Bakura turn so that his back was facing Ryou. The demon started speaking again. "…I never told you about this before…about my…other identity…" Ryou heard his voice waver slightly. "…It just proves…how much of a mere thing…a demon, a creature…that I really am…"

"…What do you mean?"

"Just _look_! What do you see, Ryou?" Bakura yelled, making Ryou flinch. The demon let out a long sigh, putting a hand to his forehead.

"…What's the matter?" Ryou asked quietly, trying to choose his words carefully in case Bakura had another outburst of rage.

"…It…it's nothing," Bakura said quickly, turning away once again. _Calm down…it's only going to get worse if you're angry with him…_

Ryou blinked in confusion, seeing Bakura's shoulders beginning to tremble slightly. "…Are…you okay?"

No response.

Ryou noticed Bakura's entire frame shaking now; quietly the angel got up, going to Bakura's side, gently touching his shoulder.

"…Get…away…from me…" Ryou blinked, his eyes widening as Bakura threw his arm out, making him stumble. Ryou watched Bakura's shoulders shake again, the demon sinking to his knees. Ryou inched closer, Bakura gasping aloud now, a hand curled tightly about his chest.

"…Bakura…?" Ryou asked quietly, gently touching Bakura's shoulder. Bakura made a sound that sounded like a cross of a growl and a hiss, making Ryou quickly withdraw his hand.

Bakura glanced at Ryou, the angel stiffening slightly at the crimson orbs. Bakura's grip tightened about his chest, the demon starting to cough heavily. Bakura's frame doubled over, the bruised wings seeming to darken, spreading slightly.

Ryou watched in horror, Bakura's fingers tightening as his canines began to lengthen. Ryou took a step back, the appearance of the demon quickly changing. Bakura's grip finally loosened, his shirt torn slightly, newly acquired claws releasing the fabric.

"…I told you already…I never told you about this…" The tone made Ryou shudder, the boy moving away slightly. Bakura rose, his back to Ryou, "…But now you've seen it for yourself…"

Bakura whirled suddenly, making a gasp pass from Ryou as the demon seized his arms tightly, holding him still. Ryou shivered, looking away from the crimson eyes. "…Now…do me a favor…and hold still…this will only hurt for a second…"

* * *

Chapter 14 : End.


	15. Explanation & Agreement

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 15: Explanation & Agreement

* * *

Ryou's eyes were wide, his gaze fixed fearfully up at Bakura. Ryou squirmed viciously, tearing himself from Bakura's grip. The demon merely lunged out, grabbing Ryou again. Ryou desperately tried to pull away, but Bakura tightened his grasp. "Now hold still."

"Let go of me!" Ryou cried, yanking his arm free. Ryou managed to pull away, bolting from the spot. He felt Bakura's fingers snag his shirt collar; Ryou merely lunged, continuing to run. "You can't run forever, Ryou…"

Ryou ignored the comment, his breath beginning to become heavy. A cry escaped as Bakura tackled him to the ground, the demon holding Ryou down. Bakura tightened his grip, claws digging in. Ryou's eyes widened further as Bakura leaned down, a grin spreading across his face, exposing the fangs.

"What are you-…" Ryou's voice cracked, trailing into silence. His eyes were cast upward, wider than ever, his mouth open slightly, a small cry escaping from his throat as Bakura sunk his fangs into the boy's neck.

Bakura pulled away for air, releasing his hold on Ryou's arms. Ryou remained still, his eyes wide, filled with fear. Slowly he spoke, his voice trembling. "…Why…did you do that…? What…_are _you?"

Ryou managed to sit up, seeing Bakura's back facing him. "…Answer me, Bakura."

The demon twitched suddenly, his shoulders slumping as he gave a sigh. Bakura turned, looking at Ryou again. Ryou blinked, noticing the crimson color in Bakura's eyes had dulled slightly.

"…Tell me." No response. "_Tell _me, Bakura!"

Bakura's shoulders moved again as he sighed. "I told you before…it's basically my other identity. But it's…not quite as simple as it sounds, Ryou…"

"…What do you mean?"

"Just look at me. You can see it all…"

"But your… 'other identity'. I don't understand… Why…how…did you change?"

The demon sighed again, sitting down now. "Well…sometimes…as demons, we can have either a true form…or a side-effect. Depending on family history, birth times, so on…

"…Apparently…from what I've learned in the past, some generations of my family were vampires. As a result, I'm not a complete full-blood demon like the others. Because of that, when I change, not only does the demon stuff grow, the vampire senses and power comes with it. And because my vampire self is out as well, my actions are just as close… That's…why I had to bite you…

"For me…full moons are the most common changing date. However, if the qualities needed are met…then it can happen any time. What you see now is only the start…"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what you see…my claws, my fangs, my eyes… But if the qualities needed are further fulfilled, my appearance tracing to my bloodline grows… Things get out of control then… I basically…just lose control…it's like I'm not even inside my body anymore… But even with just the lowest level, I can still act out of place…like I did with you before…

"…Apparently my blood is filled mostly of demonic power, the vampirism taking up not even a quarter. I used to hear rumors when I was little that some of the older people in my family were werewolves…"

"…That's more interesting than being an angel," Ryou muttered bitterly, casting his gaze to the ground. "Demons can have so many sub-categories…like you just said, vampires and werewolves and so on…but angels…we're just angels. No other classes are mixed in with that…"

"…Ryou…just because you're an angel doesn't mean it's boring. For crying out loud, your wings are white! _White. _Don't you understand how uncommon it is for _anyone _to possess white wings? And what makes it even better is that you have two different colored wings now… And you can heal. A job that takes skill; something you can't just watch to be able to do."

Ryou said nothing.

"Now then. Are you going to keep pouting or are we going to get a move on before someone tries to drag us back to our deaths?"

Ryou smiled slightly.

"I thought so," Bakura said with a chuckle, exposing his fangs.

* * *

"I still don't understand something though. When daylight comes, do you just go back to normal or what?"

"Well…the vampirism instincts need to fade away, so I have to drink enough blood while I'm in that position. If I didn't…well…I don't really know what would happen…but it probably wouldn't be good. And yes. When the sun comes up the features just go away…"

Silence.

"…Bakura…I…I'm sorry, too…"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. I deserved it."

The silence happened again. Bakura broke it.

"…Ryou?"

"…Hmm?"

"…You do know…that if you don't like the wing colors…I can change them back to normal, now that the darkness is gone…"

"…No…they're fine like this," Ryou replied, trying to hide a smile.

"…Can I ask you something?" Bakura asked quietly.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"…You remember our conversation…about the Leader, right?" Ryou nodded. "I need you to help me."

"…You need me…to help you overthrow the Leader? Bakura, what are you thinking?"

"Just listen to me, Ryou. It's easier than you think, you know. Have you forgotten who I am? I'm a thief, a murderer, and so on. These kinds of things are my specialty. Anyway, I have a plan. But first I need to teach you a couple of spells, get some supplies, a little more stuff to do, and the rest will be a cinch. Trust me."

Ryou bit his lip, hesitant.

"Ryou, it'll be worth it. The Leader has power beyond your capability. With a spot like that, Ryou…you could restore your life…and you could restore that happiness you lost so long ago…"

Ryou swallowed, keeping his eyes downcast. "…I…I don't know…"

"And I'll back you up all the way, kid. I've heard the Leader has connections to almost everything. And the power… You could do any and everything you wanted… You could restore everything, being able to get even more than you ever thought of, Ryou. You have no idea how much there is, being in that position…"

Ryou raised his eyes slowly, his mind replaying all the misfortune he experienced.

"…I'll do it."

"I thought you'd agree. Now, we need to get prepared…"

* * *

Ryou groaned, sitting upright, squinting as morning sunlight shot across his eyes. He glanced to his right, seeing Bakura lying next to him, the trench coat wrapped tightly about his frame. Ryou blinked, watching the demonic features slowly beginning to ease away, the fangs and claws shorting, eventually returning to the normal features. Bakura twitched, his eyes easing open, which were brown once again. Ryou blinked down at him, the demon growling low in his throat. "Quit staring at me."

Ryou put his gaze back to the ground. Bakura sat up, stretching, an occasional crack or two sounding from his spine. "You ready?"

"I guess so. But are we really going to try this in the morning?"

"Don't doubt me, Ryou. I know how things work."

Ryou followed Bakura into the area, people staring, confused at the newcomers. Bakura pushed open the door to one of the buildings. Ryou gasped aloud, the sudden smell of smoke choking him slightly.

The angel looked about, the shelves piled with what he found as spell books, staffs, and a bunch of other stuff. Ryou turned, seeing Bakura striding up to the counter. Ryou kept his distance, pretending to be interested in one of the books while Bakura talked. Ryou strained to hear what was being said.

"…Yes, actually. It's this one…" Ryou heard a voice say.

"Great," Bakura's voice sounded. Ryou turned to see Bakura walking away from the counter, the person behind it calling out, "You have to pay for that-"

"As if I honestly care," Bakura growled, delivering a blow to the man's head, sending him to the floor.

Ryou stared at the form on the floor, looking slowly up at Bakura. The demon victoriously grinned, a black book tucked under his arm. "See? Easy."

Bakura ran over to the shelves, snatching a staff off the wall and throwing it to Ryou. Ryou yelped, catching the object before it fell to the floor. Bakura led Ryou to the door, about to leave, stopping suddenly. "Wait. Give me a second."

Ryou watched Bakura race to the back room, coming back after a few minutes, grinning widely. Without a word he raced outside, Ryou at his heels.

After the two were in the outskirts of the village, Ryou finally spoke up. "What were you doing back there?"

Bakura grinned, tucking the book back under his arm as he pulled a loaf of bread from his jacket. "Getting us food. I'm not going to wind up starving like last time," Bakura grumbled, ripping the object in half, forcing one part into Ryou's hands. "Now eat. You're only going to wind up growing weak if you don't."

Ryou smiled. "Thanks."

"Humph," Bakura grumbled, stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth.

Bakura sat down, flipping the book open, still munching on the bread. "So…I took this to teach you a few things. When I was at the counter I managed to look at the picture. It said that it was the best staff to use for these spells, so I took it as well."

"Spells for what?" Ryou asked, nibbling on his portion of food.

"I don't know really. But the guy said they were powerful ones…" Bakura continued to flip through pages, stopping every few seconds to look at some pictures, a few articles.

Ryou noticed the ring now laced about Bakura's finger. "You took that too?"

"Yep. Pretty cool, isn't it?" Bakura said with a grin, holding up his hand. The ring was entirely black, the light shinning of it making it look like it was bloodstained. The middle had an object fixed in the center, which looked like a demon wing. "And what's weird was I found one like it," Bakura said, sliding a similar ring into Ryou's fingers.

The angel blinked, staring at it. It was white, looking almost a light blue in the sunlight. Like Bakura's, fixed in the center was an object, only his looked like a wing from an angel, from the shape. Ryou smiled, sliding it onto his finger. "I like it…" Ryou said quietly with a smile.

Bakura grinned, flipping once more through the tattered pages. "…Hey…what's this?"

Ryou peered over Bakura's shoulder, the two staring at the picture. There was a set of wings on the page, the feathers a strange color: blood red. Stranger, the tips were white, the bottom section black. The two boys sat there a minute or so, staring blankly at the page.

"…What's it say?"

"I don't know," Bakura replied with a frown. "There's some weird symbols, but that's it…I don't understand it."

"Neither do I," Ryou said with a frown as well after examining the page. Bakura sighed, creasing the page before flipping through some more pages. "We'll look at it later. We need to get started. We only have until dusk to learn some of these spells. Ready?"

"Yes," Ryou replied, now taking the staff Bakura had made him take with him in his hands, clutching it tight. "Ready."

* * *

Chapter 15: End.


	16. Power, Item, & Happenings

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 16: Power, Item, & Happenings

* * *

"Bakura, please…can we stop?" Ryou asked, breathing beyond heavily.

"…Okay, fine…" Bakura grumbled, snapping the book in his lap shut.

With a sigh of relief Ryou sunk to the ground, letting the staff slip out of his fingers. While trying to regain his breath Bakura asked, "I don't see why you're already so tired…"

"It's not as easy as it looks, you know…" Ryou replied.

"It didn't look easy, the way you were struggling," Bakura said with a snicker.

"I told you. I'm a healer, not a sorcerer. I've never really had much experience with magic and spells and all of that…" Ryou sighed.

"I know." Bakura sighed. "Anyway, we should get some sleep…"

"Yeah…" Ryou replied quietly, letting himself fall onto his back. "I need it…"

* * *

Ryou's eyes flickered open. The ground below was moving. Sleepily he lifted his head, soon realizing he was on Bakura's back. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. But I decided to go ahead and get a move on early. Lucky for you I let you sleep instead of running you up."

Ryou blinked heavily. Sunlight was pouring over the area. Bakura let him go, the angel dropping to the ground. "So now what?"

"Simple. I don't even need you this time," Bakura said with a smirk.

"You're robbing another store?"

Bakura's grin widened at Ryou's comment. Bakura led the way to the front entrance, pausing for a second. "…Look for something you want. I'll get it before we leave," he whispered, shoving the door open. The two wandered inside.

Ryou took a slow glance around while Bakura drifted to the counter, like he always did. Ryou merely wandered around, pausing every now and then to peer into glass containers and look at the shelves.

He heard a thud, realizing Bakura had probably knocked the owner unconscious again. _At least he's not killing them. _Ryou thought. He turned, seeing Bakura run to the back room once more.

It was a few minutes before Bakura returned. He had a bag slung over his shoulder, and he was once more grinning victoriously. He stepped over to Ryou, who was staring at one of the glass cases.

"Give me a second," Bakura said, running behind the counter, snatching up the keys. "He'll never know we took anything. It's less of a hassle if there's less evidence. Do you see anything you like?"

Ryou bit his lip. "I don't know. I've never really seen so much stuff like this before…"

Bakura grinned. "I know what you mean. That happened to me during my first time."

Ryou's eyes scanned the many cases. The angel was about to say no, but his eyes caught something. "What's that?"

Bakura took it out, examining it. "I don't know. It's got a lot of interesting markings though. You can keep it if you want."

"…Please?"

Bakura grinned and pushed it across the counter, locking the glass back up. Ryou picked it up in his hands. There was a black and white band, the center locked with what appeared as a stone. It was crimson, or at least looked that way. Ryou held it up in the light, the colors changing from blue to green and back to the original crimson. Ryou put it in his pocket as Bakura ran outside. "Come on."

The two were quiet for a while. Ryou finally spoke up. "What do you think this thing does?" Gesturing to the object Bakura had taken for him.

"Don't know. But it has to do something though… Maybe it'll trigger later."

Silence.

"…Bakura, how far away is the place we're looking for?"

"We still have a long way to go, kid."

* * *

"…Ryou? Ryou, wake up."

No response.

Bakura frowned, hovering over Ryou. The boy was curled up on the ground, motionless. Bakura shook Ryou by his shoulders, Ryou's eyes easing open slowly.

"Ryou, come on. We need to get going."

"…O…Okay…" Ryou replied sleepily, standing shakily on unsteady legs. Bakura's eyes widened as his legs went right out from under him, Ryou collapsing forward. The demon seized his form before it hit the ground. "What's the matter with you?"

"…I…don't…know…" Ryou muttered, trying to regain his balance, only to fall again.

Bakura frowned. "Does it hurt?"

"…M…My chest…does…" Ryou stammered, sinking to the ground as Bakura released him, curling a hand about his heart. "…W…What's…wrong with me…?"

"…I don't know," Bakura replied quietly. _Well obviously if he can't stand he can't do anything… I guess I'll have to carry him…_

Bakura tried to pull Ryou onto his back, but Ryou pulled away. "D…Don't…I…can do it…myself…"

Bakura blinked, watching Ryou take a few shaky steps before taking off. Bakura followed him, staying close in case Ryou's wings went out. Surprisingly Ryou managed to stay in the air; Bakura moved away a bit, giving him some space.

Ryou nearly fell twice, only to get back up again. Bakura glanced over his shoulder, seeing Ryou breathing heavily. "Ryou, don't push yourself, all right?"

_What's going on? What's wrong with me? _Ryou thought silently, blinking rapidly as his vision blurred. He could see the blurred outline of Bakura, the demon turning to look at him again. Ryou stopped, placing a hand on his forehead. When his vision cleared a little he continued.

"Are you sure you can do this?"

Ryou nodded silently. Bakura focused on the world ahead of him again at the respond, Ryou following him.

Ryou felt his breath catch in his throat, making him cough. The area began to smudge, nothing more than a blur. Bakura didn't turn around this time.

Ryou let out a cry, grabbing at his chest with a hand, stopping again. But his vision only worsened. _Why am I so weak…? Where's all of my energy?_

The angel blinked again, a gasp passing his lips as a wave of pain rushed through his chest. Not nearly having enough strength, Ryou collapsed, his wings merely folding closer as he fell.

Bakura glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widening at the sight of Ryou falling right out of the sky. Turning around the demon quickly went after him, snagging Ryou's shirt, but since he was already so close to the ground, and the sudden weight, it caused him to fall to the ground, Ryou in his grasp.

The boy's mouth was open slightly, Ryou breathing unevenly, an occasional cough racking through his body. His wings were pulled close, his eyes closed. Bakura frowned at how Ryou's skin was paler than usual. Gently Bakura slipped the now unconscious boy onto his back, tacking a shaky take-off, his wings spreading, Ryou's form in between the two wings.

He never noticed the glow coming from Ryou's pocket.

* * *

Bakura took a landing, setting Ryou down. The angel was still unconscious, appearing to be growing only worse, his skin growing an even paler shade.

Bakura frowned, searching through his pockets. His frown became a puzzled look as his fingers fished out the familiar object he had gotten for Ryou, the band fixed about a small, thin chain he never noticed. _Then…it's a necklace?_

Bakura examined the stone, the crimson seeming to shine in the dying sunlight. "…But this thing isn't giving off an aura, or showing any signs of power. So how can it be responsible for what's happening to Ryou?"

As if hearing his name, the angel on the ground moaned aloud, his eyes flickering, easing open seconds after. Bakura found Ryou's eyes dark and clouded, confusion, weakness, and pain moving across.

"…B…Bakura?" Ryou choked out, his voice quiet and sounding weak.

"…Yeah. Does it still hurt?"

"…Y…Yes…" Ryou stammered, casting his dark orbs skyward. "…But…why…do I feel so weak…?"

"…Maybe you're sick," Bakura suggested.

Ryou shook his head, his eyes drifting shut as he feel back asleep.

Bakura hesitated, examining the stone for a second. He placed the object in the boy's hand, Ryou's fingers instantly tightening about it.

Bakura lay down, a long sigh passing through his throat as he closed his eyes.

As the two fell asleep, Ryou's fingers loosened on the necklace. The stone seemed to shine in the moonlight, the object seeming to glow an even brighter crimson while in Ryou's hand.

* * *

_I guess it doesn't hurt to check…_

Bakura sighed, putting his hands on Ryou's shoulders, closing his eyes. He saw nothing at first, the demon tightening his grip until it made Ryou whimper with pain, Bakura's nails digging into his shoulders.

At first he saw nothing but the normal blank space, a bit of darkness around due to Ryou's unconsciousness. There was nothing but silence for a while…

Bakura pried deeper, his fingers growing even tighter on Ryou's shoulders. A small cry passed Ryou's lips, his head rolling to one side. The boy's hand twitched, moving slightly and curling into a fist.

A brilliant light suddenly began filling up the inside. Bakura stopped where he was, the light growing, a deep crimson, growing brighter. The light became so bright Bakura was forced to open his eyes.

The demon remained motionless, wide eyes cast down at Ryou. _…Such power…but why can't I tell…what his power is?_

Ryou moaned quietly, his hand uncurling as his eyes flickered. Bakura removed his hands, Ryou's eyes easing open. The angel merely stared upwards, as if not seeing a thing. He spoke after a while, his voice quiet. "…Bakura…why…does it hurt…so bad…? Why…am I…so tired…?"

Bakura hesitated at first, sighing. "…Well…I checked…and the power inside of you is only growing…"

Ryou smiled weakly. "…Thanks…" The angel sighed deeply. "…Then…do you know…what my power is…?"

"…No…but I can tell it's not something simple. No wonder you're so wiped out, kid…that light inside of you was huge…and the bigger the light, the bigger the power. I'll tell you when I figure it out, okay?" Bakura said with a grin.

"…Okay…"

Ryou suddenly spoke up after a while. "…Bakura…how…long is it going to take…before I get…my strength back…?"

"…It shouldn't be much longer. A few days or so, I guess."

Ryou smiled again, chocolate orbs raised towards the sky.

Bakura watched his eyes fall closed, his head falling to one side as he fell back asleep. The demon shook his head, gently lifting the boy from the ground and onto his back. The demon took off, the wings spreading, a feather or two becoming loose and drifting off.

Still unseen, a small glow appeared from Ryou's pocket, much brighter than before.

* * *

Chapter 16: End.


	17. Discovering the Power

Wow, two updates in one day. Lol.

Anyway, yeah. I'm still kind of braindead on my other stories. I've got a few parts done, and then I became stuck again. I'm still trying to work on the other stories, but it still make a take a bit until I get some ideas.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 17: Discovering the Power

* * *

Bakura awoke with a start, feeling a yank on his arms. He found himself lying on his stomach, viciously pulling to find his arms tied behind his back. He quickly rolled over and sat up, seeing Ryou, being lifted from the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bakura yelled, recognized the form. _The same guy that took Ryou away before…_

"Taking him back," Malik replied, putting Ryou on his shoulder.

"No you're not. You can't…"

"Oh yes I can."

Bakura watched him walk away, the demon growling low in his throat, standing, arms still tied back, and ran after him. "I said you're not taking him!" Bakura screamed, throwing himself outwards, slamming into Malik, sending both of them to the ground, Ryou's body falling as well. The angel's form merely rolled slightly, coming to a stop a few inches away.

Bakura growled, lying on top of the blonde, trying to pin him down without his hands. Malik growled, knocking Bakura off of him before grabbing hold of Ryou, only to fall to the ground as Bakura tripped him.

Bakura pulled, feeling the ropes sawing into his wrists. Giving a glance around he found the bag he was previously wearing discarded on the ground, open. Rushing over to the abandoned object he began rummaging blindly through the bag with his fingers, feeling something prick his hand. He managed to pick the knife up, carefully cutting through the ropes, finishing with only a few prick marks. Stuffing the weapon into his pocket, Bakura found the boy already trying to fly away. With a growl Bakura took off after him, grabbing Malik by the shoulders, shoving him towards the ground. As Bakura forced him around so that his back was facing the ground, Bakura quickly ripped Ryou from his grip, moving away just as the ground became close.

Bakura was about to keep going, but was unable to, a tug appearing on Ryou's arm. Glancing down the albino found Malik tightly gripping Ryou's wrist, making the angel's skin turn solid white. Bakura growled, tugging on the boy in his arms. "Let go!"

"No!"

The two boys tugged, making Ryou scream with pain. Bakura growled low, punching Malik, causing him to let go. Bakura grinned, moving away, a strangled gasp tearing from his throat as the blonde captured his throat, his arm laced about the demon's neck, choking him. "Let…go…of me…"

"Then give me Ryou!"

Bakura shifted, taking Ryou's shirt in one hand, throwing the angel away from them both. With a cry of anger the demon snapped free of the grip, grabbing Malik's shoulders, the two now fighting angrily.

Ryou's body fell straight down, a cry tearing from the boy's throat as he collided with the ground, his form rolling until it came to a stop. With a whimper of pain his eyes flickered, easing open. The angel gasped in pain as he sat up, gingerly rubbing the spot that was yanked out earlier.

Ryou's expression became puzzled, raising his eyes skyward, seeing the two people punching each other. Ryou got to his feet, watching with wide eyes.

The two started to fall towards the ground, the bodies constantly turning, both of them trying to get the other on the bottom. Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura hit the ground with Malik on top of him, hearing a cry pass from the demon. Bakura coughed, blood trickling down from his mouth.

"And I'll end it…" Malik growled, standing up with a foot on Bakura's chest, the blonde holding up Bakura's sword.

Ryou's eyes widened even further, tears filling up the chocolate orbs. The angel started to run towards the two as fast as his legs allowed, "Don't!"

Tears spilled from Ryou's eyes as he watched Bakura shut his eyes, the weapon coming down.

"DON'T!" Ryou was the source, the angel screaming as loud as he could.

All eyes moved towards the angel, a blinding light of crimson near exploding from the spot where he stood. A strangled cry came from Bakura as the pressure disappeared, his weapon falling to the ground, Malik being pushed right off of him.

"NO MORE!"

The light grew stronger, lighting up the area for a full minute before disappearing. The two boys looked at Ryou, seeing the angel take one shakier step before falling to his knees.

"Ryou!"

Bakura jumped to his feet, grabbing his sword on the way and racing over to the angel. Ryou was breathing heavily, sprawled on the ground. "…Stop…it…" Ryou choked out, tears spilling down his cheeks.

Bakura's eyes caught a crimson glow. Rolling Ryou onto his back the demon slipped his fingers into the boy's pocket, sliding out the familiar necklace. The stone was glowing, Bakura's eyes narrowing slightly. _What exactly is this thing? It has no aura, no hints of power…so was it really the thing that lit up like that? And what about the guy being pushed off of me…?_

Putting the necklace into his pocket, Bakura scooped up the now unconscious Ryou in his arms, giving only a brief, backwards glance to Malik, who was motionless on the ground.

* * *

Bakura sat in the hallway, hearing an occasional cough drift out from the room Ryou was in. Bakura sighed heavily, putting his head against the wall. The silence shattered as a strangled scream echoed throughout the hall.

Bakura sighed as the person came outside, allowing him to go in. Bakura went straight up to the bed where the angel lay, Ryou's eyes open slightly. His face was pale, a small bandage tied about his upper arm. The angel smiled weakly, "Bakura…?"

"…Yeah…" Bakura replied quietly, feeling a tinge of guilt at the sight.

"…How…long…have I…been here…?"

"Not that long." Bakura bit his lip. "Do you feel any better?"

"…A little…I guess…" Ryou murmured, raising his eyes upward.

For a few minutes there was silence.

"…Bakura…what…happened to Malik…?"

The demon bit his lip again, hesitating. "…He was…unconscious when I left…"

Ryou sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a few minutes. "…Why is it…that everything…always falls apart?"

Bakura said nothing.

Ryou opened his eyes, Bakura freezing at the sight of tears quickly swelling up in his orbs. "…Are…you going to…abandon me too…?"

"No," Bakura answered quickly. "I wouldn't. I won't. I promise…"

Ryou smiled again, looking tired. "…I…still think…he was wrong…you're…not like the others…" He murmured, his eyes rolling back slightly as he passed out.

Bakura stood there a few minutes, merely spacing out. He came back slowly, sighing aloud. "…I know…but sometimes…I wish I was…"

* * *

"_It would be best if he stayed here for a few days, at the very least."_

"_Look, we can't keep wasting time. The kid and I are-"_

"_I don't care what you guys are up to. But if you really want him to get better, he needs to stay for a few days."_

_Bakura sighed loudly. "Fine. But can you tell me what's wrong with him?"_

"_We ran a couple of tests. We've figured out that your friend's power is growing too rapidly for him to support, thus explaining the energy loss."_

"_Okay. But is it eventually going to calm so he can get his strength back? And what exactly is his power, anyway?"_

"_It should calm in a while. That's one of the reasons we requested that he stays. As for your second question, that will be determined tomorrow. We'll let you know after the tests are through."_

Bakura groaned, resting his head on the headrest. He had barely gotten any sleep the last night. Sleeping on a hospital lobby couch was no fun, at least in Bakura's case.

Bakura jumped, hearing a sudden all-too-familiar scream echo into the lobby. Getting up the demon raced down the hallway, peering into the room through the little window in the door.

Ryou was sitting on the bed, trying not to let any of the equipment come in contact with his body, apparently not wanting to go through with the tests. Bakura blinked, watching an obvious exhausted Ryou yank his arm away, trying to get up. "Leave me alone! I don't want to do this!"

Bakura's eyes grew wide, two of the guys grabbing Ryou and holding him down. Ryou screamed again, trying his best to struggle, but his entire body froze as a needle was rammed into his arm. The angel's body fell onto the bed, his eyes slowly growing blank. Bakura bit his lip, watching the guys go to work, taking blood and other things. He heard a lone cry creep through the wooden door, looking at Ryou, the boy being the source, his eyes finally clouding over as unconsciousness took him away.

* * *

"_Well?"_

"_He'll be fine. But his power is…actually much larger than we imagined for a boy his age and size. It was no surprise how much strength was removed, due to it all."_

"_Did you figure out what his power is?"_

"_It was actually very surprising. His blood tested positive for one of the Multi-Abilities…which we haven't seen in well over fifteen years at the very least."_

"_Well what's 'Multi-Ability'?"_

"_We've found it as a rare power sometimes inherited. If the owner learns to control it, the more links they have. Multi-Abilities give their owners the ability to control several different powers, not just one. If the owners can properly control the power, then they may wind up being able to do almost anything. Multi-Abilities don't have limits that often, meaning that their power numbers are often insanely high. If they wanted to, people like these could basically destroy anything in their way."_

"_Then he can learn any power?"_

"_Basically, yes."_

No matter your class, it was normal just to be able to control only one power. People with the Multi-Ability can control as many as they want, as long as they know how to control the power. So whatever they could do or control, it was basically another power added to their collection…

* * *

"Bakura!"

The demon turned, seeing Ryou racing down the hallway. He was still a little paler than he usually was, but he looked rather energetic. There was a small bandage tied about his left arm, dotted with a little bit of blood.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," Ryou said with a smile.

"Okay then. Time to get going," Bakura replied with a grin. He had already explained the power to Ryou yesterday. The angel had been completely taken by surprise, obvious excitement spilling right out of him.

As the two walked out of the double doors, Ryou spoke up. "Bakura, can you teach me how to Dreamread?"

Bakura's eyes widened a little. "What?"

"Please? I want to know how…I want to be able to."

Bakura blinked, staring hard at the angel standing next to him. "Fine," Bakura sighed.

Ryou smiled again. "Thank you."

"Humph. Whatever."

* * *

Chapter 17: End.


	18. Abilities & Memories

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 18: Abilities & Memories

* * *

Ryou gave a shaky breath, placing his hands on Bakura's shoulders. _"It's simple, really. Just put your hands on their shoulders and shut your eyes. You may feel things. Just look deeper and deeper, and when you find what you're looking for, focus on it. Don't look away. Keep pulling at that one thing…"_

Ryou did as the demon said earlier, his fingers curling about Bakura's shoulders. Bakura was currently asleep. Ryou shut his eyes, feeling his hands shaking a little. Focusing as hard as the angel could, Ryou saw a moving picture. Looking hard towards it he focused even more on the picture, the dream slowly appearing to his eyes.

Ryou quickly let go, the dream shattering. He opened his eyes quickly. Bakura groaned quietly, his head rolling to one side as his eyes opened. Their gazes locked for a few minutes.

"…Did you see anything?"

Ryou nodded silently, recalling the blood, the horrible sights in the dream. "I…I saw it all…"

Bakura shook his head. "I told you before, didn't I? You have skill… Being able to pry into someone's dreams on your first try just screams talent, Ryou."

The angel merely stared at the ground.

"…Oh. I just remembered," Bakura said to himself, rummaging through his pockets and pulling out the necklace.

"Why do you have it?" Ryou asked, gently easing it from Bakura's fingers.

"It's a long story," Bakura replied quietly.

Ryou smiled, taking it and slipping it around his neck. The crimson stone hung right on his chest, shining slightly. Bakura blinked, watching the stone pressing against Ryou's chest, the moonlight dancing off of it, the light playing tricks, making the colors change.

"Anyway, go to sleep. You need to rest."

"…Okay."

* * *

Ryou sighed. "It's not as easy as it looks…"

Bakura smirked, sitting on the ground under some shelter while the rain poured. Ryou was out in the rain, trying his best to control the water.

"Try to focus on it!" Bakura called, trying to give a bit of help.

"Right…" Ryou murmured to himself. He had remembered seeing people that controlled rain when he was little, the angel narrowing his eyes, trying to remember. Shifting his position Ryou did what he remembered from the memories. He could remember words. The angel mumbled them to himself, trying his best to say them correctly.

Ryou's mouth fell open as a few droplets about to fall into his hands froze. It continued to rain about him, the very little amount of rain frozen in the air. Ryou moved his hands up, the drops moving in the same direction.

Saying the words louder, Ryou threw out his arms, putting his weight on one leg. Shouting out the phrases the albino's eyes grew wide, the droplets within his range freezing. He heard Bakura snicker as he gave a cry of delight.

"Well it took you long enough to learn that much!"

Ryou frowned. "Well at least I _can _do it!"

"Humph, whatever…"

Ryou frowned deeper.

_Humph, maybe the kid is… Wait. Did Ryou just __**smirk**__? Oh no…_

Bakura blinked, seeing Ryou approaching him. The two merely stared at each other for a long time. Bakura opened his mouth to speak, his words merely dying in his throat as Ryou forced the rain in his direction, the water splashing him in the face. "Ha, ha. Very funny," Bakura mumbled bitterly, drying his face with his sleeve.

"Serves you right," Ryou replied.

* * *

"Oh, come on. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of these crappy uniforms. Things are only going to become more difficult if we keep wearing them, kid. So I don't know about you, but I'm getting myself some new clothes."

Ryou bit his lip, following Bakura into the store. Ryou started to look around, hearing Bakura talking with the guy at the counter. There was silence; Ryou heard the body collapse to the floor.

"Bakura, you really shouldn't-"

"But it's much easier like that," Bakura said with a pout. He was holding a zip-up bag in his left hand, quickly looking through the clothes on the shelves. "Anyway, get yourself something."

Ryou bit his lip again, watching Bakura searching through stacks for his size; mostly everything he was picking up was black. Bakura lifted his gaze, seeing Ryou watching him. "Get a move on, Ryou, or I'll start picking things out _for _you."

Ryou flinched, starting to search for a shirt, Bakura grinning all the while.

After a few minutes Bakura slung the bag over his shoulder, almost bolting from the store, Ryou rushing after him.

Bakura threw down the bags as they got out of the area. The demon instantly took of his coat, starting to unbutton his shirt. The demon practically tore off the bloodstained uniform, throwing it to the ground. His frame was lean and thin, but muscular at the same time. His body showed scars, apparently from previous battles and wounds. His hair flowed down to the middle of his back, a few bangs covering his ears that dangled down to his shoulders. Where his hair stopped, the wings started. Right under it started the black structure, the wings raising skyward, continuing outward. Bakura slipped on a shirt, but as he reached to change his pants, Ryou's face turned a deep crimson, the angel turning away.

After a few minutes the demon spoke up. "So what do you think?"

Ryou faced him again.

He was now clad in basically all black. The shirt was the color of the sky at midnight, the trench coat already back on. His wings were sticking out, black as well. His jeans were blue, basically the only thing without black.

"…Well…you look…like the darkness?"

Bakura grinned widely, but his grin faded. "You should change out of that thing, too," he said, referring to the uniform Ryou was still wearing.

Ryou glanced at it. It used to be white, now stained with blood. No, it could pass as a red shirt, that's how much blood it had. Ryou sighed, slipping off his jacket, "Fine."

Ryou's face was red as he unbuttoned his shirt, his back to Bakura. But he could feel the demon staring at him…

Unlike Bakura, Ryou's frame was thin and slender. The angel's face was burning red, his shoulders drawn forward. His bangs also covered his ears, touching his shoulders. The rest of it flowed down his back, his hair at least an inch shorter than Bakura's, stopping about an inch above his wings as well. The white objects started flowing upward, then moved out behind him.

Ryou slid on the shirt, looking over his shoulder. "Does…it look okay?"

"Well how can I tell if you don't face me all the way?" Ryou swallowed and turned as he said.

Now clad in a light blue shirt and jeans, Ryou lifted his head. Bakura frowned slightly, stepping over to the angel and removing the necklace from under his shirt, so that it was now visible and hanging chest-level, glowing that faint crimson.

* * *

"_I already told you…things aren't going as well as before. I might have to change to a different position…"_

"_But…"_

"_I know, I'm sorry. But it's for the best."_

_The two voices continued, the forms sitting in the den, talking in low voices. There was a lone figure hiding about the doorway._

"_I'm trying my best to help…if I change, the income will get higher. Maybe then we can give the children a little more, and for ourselves…"_

_The small figure about the doorway listened silently. The child hugged the stuffed animal closer, his big, brown eyes filling up with tears at the conversation. A little Ryou swallowed, bravely stepping into the room, his hair tinted pale lavender in the firelight. His eyes were tear-filled and wide, full of hurt._

_At the sight of their son the two adults froze instantly. Ryou stood there a second or two, frozen._

"…_Ryou…how long were you standing there?"_

_The little albino blinked, trying to hold back the tears. His grasp tightened on the small animal in his arms. The child started to cry, whimpering softly. One of them sighed, taking Ryou and pulling him from the ground and into the chair. The mother sighed again, trying to calm him down._

"_W…Why is…Daddy leaving…?" Ryou asked, tightly grasping the stuffed animal in his arms._

"_I'm sorry, but I have to…" The reply was that, a hand ruffling Ryou's hair._

_Ryou hiccupped, tears racing down his cheeks. "B…But…how…am I supposed to…tell Amane?"_

_The two adults looked at each other, and then looked back down at Ryou, the child on the mother's lap nearly sobbing now._

"_Just make sure to be there for her, Ryou. Make her happy…protect her, all right? Be a brother to her…"_

_The three looked up, hearing footsteps. Ryou quickly wiped his tears away, his sister standing in the doorway, hugging a stuffed rabbit tightly. Ryou quickly got down, "I got it…"_

_The two adults merely watched Ryou take his little sister's hand and lead her back up the stairs. They then looked at each other, the father smiling. "He's already a good brother for her."_

Bakura tightened his grip on Ryou's shoulders, the angel whimpering softly with pain. Bakura pried deeper.

_Ryou's hands clenched up, the boy trying his best to keep the tears held back. He felt lonely, even isolated: a terrible sadness rising beyond control to his surface. Ryou wasn't listening to the words being said, only staring down at the floor._

_The stuffed rabbit was in his arms, being held tightly._

_Ryou looked up, fear seizing him as realized he was surrounded by strangers. His father was nowhere in sight._

Bakura quickly released Ryou, feeling everything break. Ryou's eyes opened slowly. Bakura froze, seeing tears inside of the chocolate orbs. "…Are you okay?"

Ryou blinked, turning onto his side. He didn't answer, his bangs falling over his eyes.

Bakura bit his lip, watching Ryou's thin shoulders beginning to tremble, hearing the noise. "Ryou…tell me." The angel shook his head, tears trickling from his eyes. "Ryou. It's better if you talk about it. Trust me."

He shook his head again.

"…I saw it, Ryou. The memories…I already know what it was. But please, if you talk about, maybe-"

"I don't _want _to talk about it…" Ryou replied quietly. The albino shook his head once again. "Please, Bakura…I just…don't feel like talking about it…"

"…But then you'll still be upset…"

"_Please _Bakura…I don't want to talk about it…"

"Fine, I guess," The demon sighed. "We need to get ready to leave though, all right?"

"…Yeah…" Ryou replied quietly, his covered eyes downcast.

* * *

Chapter 18 : End.


	19. Incidents & Coincidence?

Man, took a while to update... Stupid writer's block...

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 19: Incidents & Coincidence?

* * *

"…Ryou, please…eat something…"

"I said I'm not hungry…"

"But you're only-"

"I _said _I'm not hungry!" Ryou snapped back. The albino sighed heavily, looking down at the ground.

"…I hate it when you're upset; all you do is mope around and cry. Either that or you have a mood swing…and you get angry with everyone that's trying to _help _you…" Bakura shook his head, sighing.

"Well maybe what you're trying to do isn't helping!" Ryou yelled back. "Maybe you-"

Ryou was cut short, Bakura grabbing his shirt and yanking him off his feet. His eyes were narrowed, his voice angry. "Then why do I bother helping you? It's always the same thing with you!"

Ryou frowned, "Coming from someone like you…"

Bakura growled low in his throat, his fingers tightening on Ryou's shirt. His fingerless gloves were starting to crease due to Bakura's fingers curling up.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Bakura growled louder, Ryou's eyes going wide as Bakura's hand collided with his cheek. The blow made the boy's head turn, his skin lingering on a pink shade.

"LET GO!" Ryou screamed, viciously struggling, tears springing into his eyes. He froze instantly as Bakura slapped him again, harder than before.

"_Shut up." _Bakura snarled, his fingers tightening even further. "I don't get what your problem is. All I try to do is help you, and then you turn around and just…" The demon growled, pushing Ryou away so heavily that the boy fell to the ground.

Ryou rubbed his cheek, glancing upwards to see Bakura storm off.

* * *

"…Bakura?" No response. "…I…I'm sorry… Please, don't be mad…"

Bakura said nothing.

"I-I'm sorry…please, Bakura…" The angel murmured. His cheek was slightly bruised from the earlier blow.

"…There you go again. First you're depressed, then you're angry, and now you want for me to forgive you. For crying out loud, Ryou…"

"…S…Sorry…I…I guess I'm just…" Ryou shook his head, tears springing into his eyes. "I…I don't know…I…" The albino began to cry silently, his bangs falling over his eyes.

"Ryou, what's your problem? Don't cry. I forgive you…and I shouldn't have hit you, so stop it, okay?"

Ryou silently nodded.

* * *

"Ryou? Hey, Ryou. Get up."

Bakura shook the boy's shoulders, Ryou's thin frame curled up on the ground. Ryou groaned lightly. "Come on. We need to go."

Bakura turned away, picking up his bag, glancing over his shoulder to find Ryou still lying on the ground. Bakura blinked, sitting on his knees next to the angel. Ryou didn't appear to notice. Bakura rolled the boy onto his back, freezing at the paleness of his face. "Ryou?"

Bakura frowned, gently sitting him upright. Ryou's body was basically limp in his arms. The stone about the boy's throat glowed a faint crimson.

Bakura's frown deepened. Digging through his bag he pulled out the black book, resting it on his knees, flipping until he came to a stop. The strange picture stared back up at him, the unusual red feathers, strangely marked with white and black. Bakura's eyes rose to the necklace about Ryou's neck.

_Wait…this looks just like the picture. _Bakura frowned again, his fingers trailing over the object. The stone was crimson like the feathers, the band around it just like the markings on the feathers. The white section of the band was about the top, the black towards the bottom, just like the markings on the feathers. _Is it just a coincidence?_

Sighing, Bakura slipped the book back into his bag, standing up, and pulling Ryou onto his shoulder.

* * *

Ryou awoke slowly, his head pounding with pain. His body felt heavy, and his limbs were numb. He opened his mouth to speak, only to have a small sound come out instead. The angel blinked, his vision nothing but a blur. He managed to identify the smudge above him as Bakura, who seemed to be focused on something else. Ryou weakly moved, struggling to get up. He failed.

Bakura growled quietly, trying his best not to let the fire before him go out. Hanging over it was a small container of what appeared as water. Hearing a stifled sound the demon looked up from his work, seeing Ryou move slightly.

Ryou blinked again, weakly struggling to get up. His arms went out from under him, a muffled cry passing his lips as he fell back down to the ground. His chest was aching…

"Ryou?" The angel lifted his head, the blurred outline of Bakura staring down at him. Bakura frowned, trying to help him up, but Ryou pulled his arm away.

"Eh? What's the matter?"

Ryou shook his head.

Bakura frowned again, "Why aren't you talking?"

Ryou frowned this time, opening his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He shook his head again. The demon froze, seeing Ryou double over, gasping for breath, his fingers curled about his chest.

Ryou pulled away as Bakura touched his shoulder, gasping aloud as a wave of pain rushed in. The area was beginning to spin. Bakura managed to grab hold of Ryou, the angel now coughing. Bakura froze, the angel coughing up what he knew as blood.

Ryou groaned as his legs went out, Bakura still holding onto him, the boy now only held upright by Bakura. The demon set him down, Ryou's form near limp in his grasp. "…Ryou?"

"…Y…Yeah…?"

"At least you have your voice back… Does it still hurt?"

"…N…No…I…I'm fine now…" Ryou's chest was heaving as he was struggling to regain his breath. "But…but I don't know what was going on…"

* * *

_What?_

Ryou opened his eyes, feeling something shaking him. His vision a bit blurry he called out, "What is-"

He was cut short, gasping as something clamped over his mouth. He managed to let out a muffled cry, trying to move away. The sound died in his throat, a stinging pain appearing in his shoulder. "Quiet…"

He whimpered aloud, his eyes widening as his head was jerked backwards, feeling something press against his lips. A sick feeling stirred in his stomach; he kept his mouth shut. He heard a slight grumble, feeling his oxygen supply disappear. His lungs slowly began to burn, and he was forced to gasp out for air. As he did so, he felt the same object appear, something flowing down his throat. It tasted horrible; he gave a cough, gasping out for air.

The area began to spin. It only took a minute or so before Ryou fell to the ground, out cold.

* * *

Bakura groaned, opening his eyes to find his head aching. Touching a hand to his forehead, he removed it to find his fingers decorated with drying blood. He frowned, glancing up, a cold grip grabbing his heart when he found Ryou gone.

"Ryou?"

No answer.

_Oh no._

The demon scrambled to his feet, quickly snagging his bag and rushing off. Calling the boy's name as he went, Bakura stopped as he noticed prints. Following them he soon came to the edge of what appeared as a creek. There weren't any tracks on the other side. But there was a white feather drifting about the surface.

Cold horror tightened on his heart, the demon taking off a little ways from the ground. No signs of him.

_Where could he have gone?_

* * *

Ryou whimpered, his cloudy eyes easing open. He tried to move, discovering his hands and ankles had been tied together, unable to speak, what he found as a gag in his mouth. Whimpering again he shifted, feeling the binds saw into his skin. Glancing about he found himself on the floor, dry droplets of blood about.

Lightheaded and weak he managed to roll onto his side, and with insane difficulty and pain, managed to sit up. He was inside an enclosed room, the room bare, a lone candle placed near the door, giving the tiny space a small glow of light.

Sitting still the angel sat and waited, eventually hearing footsteps. He glanced up as the door swung open, an all-too-familiar face appearing in the doorway.

_Malik. …Man, what's his problem? He'd go this far…drugging me, taking me hostage, just to drag me back towards my death, only for the sake of his job? Just to remain in the war? Why couldn't he just say he'd come after me and never come back?_

Ryou threw up his best glare he could muster, his head swimming and clouded. To his surprise, the blonde untied the gag about his mouth, letting it fall to the floor.

"…Why?"

"Look, I told you I'm sorry." Malik sighed heavily. "But I have to do what they tell me. I'm not like you, Ryou. I'm not going to risk my life like the way you did."

The albino blinked in shock as he untied him, but only his hands. He blinked again as a bottle was thrust into his hands. He glanced down at it for a second, lifting his head back up to find Malik sitting down opposite of him.

"Drink it if you want. It's not drugged or anything, I promise."

Ryou stared down at it through the open lid, taking a swig of it. It was only then he realized how thirsty he was, drinking deep from the bottle in his hands. Ryou gave a gasp, already downing enough to fill up three or four glasses of the reddish liquid.

"You _were _thirsty…"

_Probably from whatever he forced me to drink earlier…_

"How long has it been?" The albino asked.

"Not even a full day."

"What'd you do to Bakura?"

"I just knocked him out. He'll be fine."

Malik said nothing, instead retying the boy's hands together. Ryou placed his head against the wall behind him. "…I…I feel lightheaded…"

"I bet you are," Malik mumbled. Apparently Ryou didn't hear him, because he said nothing.

Letting out a groan Ryou sunk down a bit, his head still resting on the wall. His stomach was beginning to swirl uncomfortably, his cheeks a faint pink. _Oh man…_

"Ryou, have you ever gone drinking before?"

"N…No…"

"Oh. Well, actually you kind of have now…" Malik muttered, picking up the wine bottle from beside Ryou, who was sinking further down towards the floor. "I guess you like it since you drank so much…"

Ryou shut his eyes, feeling his stomach still churning uneasily, the alcohol quickly taking its toll. "I hate you," he muttered.

He was gone, drunk right off his feet.

* * *

Chapter 19 : End.


	20. Unfortunate Occurances

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 20: Unfortunate Occurances

* * *

Foggy mocha orbs eased open, a small groaned spilling from Ryou's lips as he lifted his head, which was heavy. Blinking rapidly, trying to maintain wakefulness, he swallowed, shaking his head slightly.

His mind was a bit clouded, and his limbs were heavy. The albino rolled over with a groan; the sound only turned into a scream of pain and shock as he did so. With a soft whimper he sat up slowly, his wrists numb. Though he couldn't see it, the binds had only sawed into his skin, the ropes digging in, making blood fall. Ryou squirmed uncomfortably, wincing aloud as the object only buried itself deeper in. Blood slowly trickled down from the cut places.

Hearing his stomach growl Ryou groaned, placing his head back against the wall. _…Figures. Things like this always happen…_

Ryou didn't even bother to look up as the door opened, a sick feeling already forming in the pit of his stomach.

"Come on."

Ryou went without any other forcing, basically just following now. He kept his eyes level with the ground in front of him, occasionally, letting his gaze drift to the binds on his legs, which had been tied a bit differently, now allowing him to walk. His shoulders were throbbing from the forced position, his hands still tied behind his back. But he soon figured out that if he tugged or tried to get free, a huge throb pulsed, and if he glanced over his shoulder right after that, he would occasionally see droplets of his blood.

Later on Ryou stopped as Malik did, near slamming into the blonde due to his sudden stop. Ryou frowned as Malik sat down, the angel merely staying on his feet. "…Sit down. Take a rest or something, Ryou."

Ryou merely stared down at the ground, "…Umm…would you be able to untie me for a few minutes? I won't run…"

"…I guess. But if you even try anything-"

"I won't."

After the bonds had been released, Ryou gasped in pain, feeling his blood circulation jump further back into life as his shoulders finally were able to relax into their normal place.

Near stumbling over to the little river Ryou stared down at the water's surface, collapsing onto his knees. He could feel Malik watching him, but he didn't care anymore. Smiling slightly Ryou touched the surface, his reflection shattering at his touch, sending ripples along. _…Bakura._

Putting his arms in the water, Ryou bit his lip, the water about him turning a light pink, the water almost stinging.

He managed to wash away the blood.

Staring at the marks on his wrists Ryou appeared expressionless, his fingers tracing the grooves from the ropes sawing in. His fingers fell, an almost hurt look in his eyes as he glanced back at the rippling water, glimpsing his reflection again. _…Bakura…I'm so sorry…it's my fault…and if you don't come…then…I deserve it all…_

Malik bit his lip, watching Ryou's thin frame bend over the water's surface, staring at it. He watched as Ryou's body began to tremble, and then his shoulders began to severely shake. His head bowed even further, his hair hiding his face even further. _Is…he…crying?_

Ryou whimpered, wiping his eyes with his hand, a fresh wave of tears racing down his cheeks. His head lowered even further, the tears dripping into the river, disturbing the reflection once more of the crying angel. _I know I deserve it, but… But please… _Ryou hiccupped, staring at the shattered image of his reflection through the water. _I don't want to be alone again... Please, I don't want to be alone anymore..._

* * *

Ryou whimpered quietly, his fingers curling about the necklace hanging about his throat. He was crying silently. _They just don't understand. Bakura…is the only one who truly understands me. And now… Now…_

Ryou rested his head on his knees, legs brought up to his chest. He hiccupped, fresh sobs racking through his body. His fingers tightened even more on the stone, so much until his knuckles were almost white.

_I don't want to die…I don't want to be alone…_

Malik paused at the door, hearing cries through the wooden structure. Taking a breath he knocked, silently waiting. He heard footsteps, the door opening to reveal Ryou. The angel was merely staring at the floor, his eyes a pinkish color from crying. "…What do you want?" He asked bitterly.

"…Aren't you hungry?"

"No," Ryou lied.

"Umm…"

"Look, just leave me alone for a while…please…" The albino muttered, gently shutting the door before going back to his place on the floor.

He hadn't eaten in days. He could feel the hunger clawing at him constantly. He was losing weight, growing weaker and weaker. But he just didn't care.

He noticed that the ropes were getting tighter and tighter each day, and soon his wrists began to bleed even more than before. Either that, or he was struggling without realizing he was doing so.

He would sometimes cry during his sleep. He either didn't know, or did know and didn't care, that Malik knew about it. Sometimes the blonde would pause outside the door, only to find a sleeping Ryou curled up in one corner, asleep, tears racing down his cheeks. And his wrists were always either cut up or bleeding, or both. And sometimes, if he listened, he could hear the angel calling out names…

It was growing harder and harder for Ryou to even carry on. He could barely even walk anymore. Too often he collapsed, often fainting. It was only growing worse.

And it was as if everything had left. It was rare to even hear Ryou speak or even produce emotion. It was as if he was empty…

* * *

Bakura's frown deepened, his left hand fingers brushing the feather that was stuffed in his pocket. _Well, it matches the description pretty well…_

He tested the handle, surprised when the door just swung open. He noticed mostly demons hurrying past him, catching a couple words from conversations. But what he heard was more than enough. _Ryou…the Ceremony…_

Racing through the doors Bakura found himself outside, a small little platform in the center, where everyone was crowding around.

_Oh no. It's a Form Fifteen…if Ryou even gets within range, he'll never have a chance…_

Bakura watched in horror as one of the guys in uniform shoved Ryou onto the platform. The angel stumbled, almost collapsing instantly.

Ryou's arms were pinned back, handcuffed now, with a set that was a bit tight on his wrists. His jacket had been removed, now only wearing that blue shirt for upper protection. The boy's chest was heaving as he breathed, his breath quick. His eyes were fogged, his actions proving he was beyond weak and exhausted. His frame looked thinner than it used to. If you were up close you could see the blood dripping onto the tiny stage from where the handcuffs digging into Ryou's wrists.

"But-"

Ryou's voice was cut, turning instantly into a scream of pain and shock, whimpering as fresh pain spread as the hand knife was plunged into his shoulder, then ripped out. Blood was beginning to show through his shirt sleeve.

"Begin."

Bakura's mouth fell open, watching in terror as what appeared as a collar was shackled about Ryou's throat. On the side was a short chain, in the hands of those on stage.

Ryou desperately tried to move away. The one holding on merely gave the chain a sharp yank, the angel collapsing back to the ground.

"Get up."

Ryou's entire frame was trembling horribly. The angel screamed in pain as the chain attached to his neck was yanked abruptly upwards, the demon in possession of it much taller than Ryou, therefore, by holding it as high as he could, forced Ryou right off his feet. The angel began to struggle, coughing, trying to regain some air. It was then when the chain was released, the boy being thrown to the ground, his half-sigh of relief bubbling up into a yell of pain, the boy's eyes going wide as a sword was plunged into his shoulder.

Bakura felt his hand clench up, watching the sword being removed. Ryou's eyes were shut tight, tears in the corners, the little form shaking violently.

"And we'll make sure to make it nice and slow…"

_That's enough._

Bakura forced himself up onto the stage, getting right in front of Ryou, just like before. Ryou's voice was quiet, as if he was about to faint. "…B…B…Bakura…"

"Oh, look. It's the guy that ruined it all for us last time, remember?"

"Yeah. Kill him first…"

"…No…"

Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou pushed him aside, watching Ryou take the blow that was supposed to be his. Ryou collapsed to the floor, his arm spilling blood.

"Aw, look. The kid wanted to save him…"

Bakura's hand clenched up, his other going to the sword hilt. His grip tightened, the demon growling low in his throat. "…I'LL KILL YOU!"

Two sets of eyes widened as Bakura drew his sword instantly, the new set of crimson orbs boring deep into the pair. With a loud cry of anger, Bakura stabbed them both, the two collapsing to the ground. Dead.

Bakura grinned widely, exposing fangs. "So. Who's next?"

There was silence for a minute or so, then a voice spoke up, "Get him!"

Bakura only grinned wider. "Such foolish mortals…you're _nothing…_"

It was only a few minutes. Bodies were scattered across the platform, Bakura's sword tip dyed crimson with their blood. The demon licked it, sticking out his tongue. "I've tasted better. They acted so high and mighty…when they were just bluffing it the entire time…"

Bakura rose his head, his crimson eyes scanning the crowd. "Now, if that's everyone, I have something to attend to."

No one moved.

"I thought so."

* * *

"…Ryou? Ryou, are you awake?"

The angel moaned lightly. He lifted his head slightly, finding a wet cloth on his forehead, his body aching but yet numb. He found himself staring into blood red eyes when he looked up. "…B…Bakura?"

"Yeah. Sorry…I kind of…got a bit out of control back there."

"…It was worth it…" Ryou said weakly. And finally, he smiled.

"…Oh…Ryou. Later on, when you're feeling better, we need to talk. But I need to tell you something else now."

"…What is it?"

"Your arm…it was hurt more than I thought."

"…What do you mean?"

"At first they hit that shoulder, and then by using a sword cut your arm right beneath the same shoulder. Apparently…the sword they used…it cut more than just your skin. It went through your arm, Ryou…it's cut up more than just one gash."

Ryou blinked up at him.

"…The doctors said it may be shattered like this for six months at the very least. You can do normal things, but abilities and powers…your arm can't handle that much strain. It may only cause it to shatter further."

Ryou closed his eyes. "…Okay…"

"Get some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning, all right?" Bakura replied.

* * *

Chapter 20: End.


	21. Discussions & Happenings

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 21: Discussions & Happenings

* * *

Bakura sighed, his gaze once more drifting to the heart monitor that was placed nearby. _…I just wish I could've done more to help him…_

Bakura removed the cloth from Ryou's forehead, taking a brief second to feel it. _Man, he's still burning up…why won't his fever go down?_

Bakura sighed again, wringing out the towel and letting it absorb new, colder water before once more putting it back on Ryou's head. _I can't believe this…he's in such a horrible condition, and it's all my fault…_

Ryou whimpered, his fingers clutching the sheets in his sleep. Bakura traced over the engraves in his wrists from the ropes cutting in, feeling the guilt uneasily grow in the pit of his stomach.

Bakura didn't notice Ryou's eyes opening.

"…B…Bakura…?" Ryou asked quietly.

Bakura looked up, "Yeah?"

"…Where am I…?"

"A medical ward. I wanted you to have some time to rest up…"

Ryou said nothing, now staring up at the ceiling. Bakura froze at the sight of tears in his eyes.

"…What's the matter?"

Ryou didn't answer.

"Ryou, tell me. What's wrong?"

Ryou whimpered, shutting his eyes to try and hold back the tears, but he failed. "I…I don't want to be alone…"

"What? Ryou, I told you-"

"But…at first…I didn't…I didn't think you were coming… I didn't want to die, I was just so afraid… I thought…I thought I was going to die…and I was going to die alone…"

"Ryou, I wouldn't let them take you and kill you…you know that."

"I…I know, but…when I was away…I was just so _scared_…and I waited…and I started thinking you weren't coming…and when I was up on that platform…I thought it…it was over…" Ryou choked out, practically sobbing now, now sitting upright. "And now we're probably going to wind up fighting or someone's going to try to take me, and they're going to succeed, because now I'm worthless because of my arm… Or you're just…going to leave me…or get yourself killed…"

"Ryou, Ryou…calm down…" Bakura murmured, gently taking the boy's shoulders, trying to get him to look at him.

"I don't want you to leave…I don't want to be alone…"

"Ryou…"

"I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE!" Ryou screamed, crying even harder.

Bakura said nothing, feeling the guilt rising.

Bakura's eyes widened a little when Ryou put his head on his shoulder, shaking violently, crying his heart out. The guilt didn't die. Bakura felt Ryou relax only slightly as he put his arms about him in a hug.

Not hearing anything Bakura let go, seeing Ryou unconscious, but clutching Bakura's shirt. Bakura bit his lip, sighing but moving Ryou so that he was leaning completely against him, his head placed against Bakura's chest. At least Ryou had stopped crying…

Bakura's face was solid red. Ryou let go of his shirt, and the demon gently pushed him back down so that his head was once more placed on the pillow. "I wouldn't do that," the demon whispered, sitting in one of the chairs.

* * *

Ryou was motionless in the bed, his shirt sleeve rolled up, revealing white yet bloodstained bandages about his arm. His cheeks were flushed; beads of sweat were rolling down his throat through the fever. Ryou's eyes flickered, then easing open.

"…Ryou?"

"…Hmm…?"

"…You remember how I said I needed to talk to you?"

"…Yeah. So what…is it about?"

"Well…what I was thinking…since we can't go back, we'll have to start something else. You know what I mean?"

Ryou nodded.

"Well, we could either keep wandering around, or we can find a place to live. You can decide."

"Really?" Bakura smiled, watching tears prick into Ryou's eyes. "Thank you so much…"

* * *

It was a few days before Ryou was released. The angel was eating like he used to, and was smiling again. But due to him still lacking some strength, Bakura had to carry him.

"You do realize that if we get a house near town, you'll have to stop robbing stores and knocking the owners unconscious, right?"

"Yeah."

Ryou smiled, seated on Bakura's back. For a few minutes the two were silent, but then Bakura spoke up. "Do you want anything?"

Ryou's eyes lit up, recognizing the shop. "I haven't had ice cream in forever…"

Bakura grinned. "At least you _have _had it."

"You've never had ice cream before?"

"No."

"Jeez, Bakura…you're missing out, big time." Ryou smiled again. "Get yourself a chocolate one. They're good, trust me."

Taking a seat next to the water's edge, Ryou took the bowl from Bakura when he reappeared, the demon holding his own. Ryou picked up the spoon that was poking out, noticing Bakura trying to eat his just with his tongue.

"You're supposed to use the spoon when you eat it in a bowl, Bakura."

"…Oh."

Ryou paused, staring down at the water. _…I feel bad for him, actually… _Ryou looked up. "…Bakura, I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"…Well…how are we going to get a place if we don't barely have any money? And want if Malik comes back again?"

"Don't worry about it," Bakura replied. "I know what I'm doing."

* * *

Ryou stirred, raising his head, finding himself still on Bakura's back. The demon was at a counter, talking with the person behind it. Merely pushing it to the corner of his mind Ryou put his head back down. He felt tired…

He could see the ground moving, realizing Bakura had probably gotten back on the road. "…We just made about four hundred."

"From what?"

"Selling the things I stole from that one shop." Bakura paused. "What were thinking off for a home?"

Ryou hesitated. "…I don't really mind if it's not like this, but…a house near a river or a lake or something like that, so it'd be easier to grow things."

"You like gardening?"

"Yes. Mum had a fruit and vegetable garden when I was little. We had grape vines, too. The gardens often produced more than we could eat, so then whatever was left over we sold. But whenever the corn reached a certain height, if we left it out for another day, it would always die, always at the same height, for some reason. And my sister always wanted to be the one to pick the fruit from the trees, but she was usually too small to be able to reach the branches," Ryou said with a sad smile.

"…You really loved them…" Bakura said quietly.

Ryou nodded silently. "So did Father…"

"…At least you know what love feels like," Bakura muttered bitterly. "I told you before, I have never loved before, and I don't know if anyone has loved me. It is an unknown emotion that has no importance for me…"

Ryou said nothing.

* * *

"Ryou? Hey, what's wrong?"

Ryou whimpered, his fingers tightening about his arm. "M…My arm…it…it hurts…" He choked out, tears pricking his eyes. "It hurts…"

Bakura frowned and eased Ryou's fingers away, rolling up his sleeve to find the bandages slowly turning red. He let the boy's arm go, digging through his bag to pull out a small container.

"Take these," he murmured, putting two small pills into Ryou's palm along with a bottle of water.

Ryou sat there a second, but did as he was told.

"The doctor told me that you'd probably be in pain for a week or two, or perhaps later on. The pills will make it go away, all right?" Bakura placed the container back in his bag, curling up on the floor. "Now go back to sleep, okay?"

Ryou looked down at the bandages. Biting his lip he slowly untied them, let them fall and stared at the wound in his arm. There was a rather big hole, bleeding. He gently touched it, making it throb. Reluctantly he retied the bandages, slowly going back to sleep.

* * *

_I hope he doesn't hurt himself…_

Bakura bit his lip, watching Ryou. The albino also wanted to help with the profits, picking up work for a day. Bakura knew it was a bad idea, considering how horrible the condition of Ryou's arm was, but he seemed so enthusiastic about it…

Bakura blinked, watching Ryou help build. Apparently Ryou had realized his arm condition, because he was going easy

"Hey, kid. Can you help?"

Ryou bit his lip at the sight of the lumber. "Well, I-"

"Apparently he's too weak. I'll do it." Ryou narrowed his eyes at the boy, who was more than a foot shorter than him.

"No, I can do it," Ryou said quickly.

Bakura felt something stir inside of him. _I have such a bad feeling about this…_

Ryou lifted the wood, which was heavy, and meant for the beams of the little building. He tried his best to only use his good arm, but when he got to the front steps, at least two pieces of the lumber in his arms, felt a throb. He clenched his teeth, ignoring it and climbing up the stairs. _It…it hurts…but I can't…_

Ryou bit lip, feeling the pain horribly worse. The true weight took its toll.

Ryou dropped the lumber with a scream, sinking to his knees. Blood dripped to the floor, visible through the bandages.

"RYOU!"

Bakura rushed over, quickly dropping down next to him. "What were you thinking? You know you're in no condition to be doing things like that!"

"…I…I…"

Bakura quickly untied the bandages, looking at the wound. Ryou's arm was contrasting constantly and sharply, blood bubbling out. Running a finger over his arm, the angel screamed with pain.

_This isn't good…this SO isn't good…_

Ryou was crying in pain, his blood racing onto the wooden floor. He had his wings pulled close, his frame shaking horribly.

"Can you bend your arm, Ryou?"

The angel tried, Bakura's going wide at the sickening crack it made. Ryou let out another scream, clutching his bleeding arm tightly.

_What did he do?_

* * *

Chapter 21: End.


	22. Rebuilding & Unexpected

Okay, so I've decided to finish the story at 25 chapters. Good news though: I'm going to write a SEQUEL. :D

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 22: Rebuilding & Unexpected

* * *

Bakura bit his lip, gripping Ryou's shoulders. _This is bad…really bad…_

Bakura snatched up a thin piece of wood, digging through his bag and pulling out his old uniform, ripping sections off. He forced Ryou to let go of his arm, taking it, and being careful not to disturb it too much. Pressing the wood against his arm he tied the fabric about, so the wood wound up staying place. _Now he can't bend it. At least now he can't hurt himself further…_

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Bakura picked Ryou up so that the boy was in his arms. Ryou was still grasping his arm, crying. Bakura bit his lip again, seeing dots of blood beginning to show through.

"Get me a doctor. _Now_."

* * *

Ryou was unconscious on the bed, his fingers still curled about his arm, his face tearstained. Bakura felt the guilt return, higher than before. The demon was standing next to the bed, watching as Ryou's arm was bandaged tightly, and then placed in a rather tight sling.

"So what happened?"

"Well…we were attacked, and he wound up getting stabbed. I took him to a doctor after that, and he said that the blade went through his arm, basically shattering it, until months later… But when he was helping with construction, he was helping carry some lumber… I don't really know what happened, but he dropped it and collapsed… The wound was bleeding pretty bad…and when I asked him if he could bend his arm it made this really bad cracking sound…"

"…Well…from the sound of it…he may have just shattered it even further. As you said, the blade went through his arm. From all that extra effort and weight, it probably put on too much strain…"

"…How long will it take to heal?"

"At the very least…until August or September…" A sigh. "It would've taken a very long time for the previous damage to heal, but now that it just became worse, it will take extra time…"

Bakura looked back down at Ryou, the angel motionless, breathing lightly in his unconsciousness. _It's my fault…all of it. If I had helped sooner…during both situations…I was too late… And can't the kid ever get a break? He always gets himself hurt…_

"If possible, let him drink milk every day. Other than that, he needs to rest. Don't let him do much. The less he uses that arm of his the better."

* * *

He could hear muffled voices. Ryou opened his eyes, weakly looking around. He could see the blurred figure hovering over him, just barely. His arm was pulsing with pain. He tried to sit up, but failed, and collapsed back onto the bed. He let his eyes drift shut, trying to go back to sleep.

"…Ryou…?"

Bakura watched him open his eyes again. They were clouded, and by the way Ryou was staring blankly up at him, he could tell he could barely see. Ryou gave him a weak smile, straining to sit up. Taking his shoulders, Bakura helped him, the angel leaning heavily against the frame of the bed.

They could both hear the rain falling through the silence.

"…I'm sorry…" Bakura murmured quietly.

"…It's not your fault…" Ryou replied.

"Yes it is. If I had-"

"Bakura, I was the one who was stupid enough to try and do the work. Don't even try to put the blame on yourself; it's my fault, all right?" Ryou smiled again, resting his head on the bed frame.

"…I hate to tell you this, but…you'll probably be like that until September or some time around that…"

Ryou sighed.

* * *

It was late. The curtains were pulled back, moonlight spilling into the room. Bakura was seated on the edge of the bed, watching Ryou, the angel sleeping soundly. _If only his arm could be healed…but of course, it's not that easy, is it?_

Unable to sleep, the demon pulled out the familiar black book, setting it down on his lap, flipping through pages. He bit his lip, seeing Ryou snuggle deeper under covers, whimpering in pain, his fingers curling about the edge of the pillow.

_He'll eventually get used to the pain… He'll get used to being pushed around and treated differently because of what he is. All he wants is a place where he'll be accepted._

_He's just like me._

Bakura sighed deeply, his gaze once more drifting to the text in the book. He was reading, but the words slowly began to merge together. His eyes drifted shut as he collapsed onto his side on the bed, the book now closed, lying on his lap.

* * *

Bakura awoke slowly, feeling strangely weak. He found himself underneath bed covers, his head resting on a soft pillow. The curtains were pulled, but there wasn't any light in the room. It was raining instead. Bakura's dark eyes roamed, seeing Ryou sitting in a chair beside him.

"…'Morning," Ryou said with a small smile.

Bakura didn't answer him, instead looking up at the ceiling. "…What's going on? Why am I in bed…and why…do I feel so…weak?"

"I woke up…you were curled up at the edge of my bed. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I put you there instead." Ryou smiled.

Bakura lifted a hand, running it through his hair. "…But I don't understand. Why do I feel so exhausted?"

"You're probably wiped out from everything that happened earlier." Ryou hid a smile. "Are you hungry?"

Bakura managed to prop himself up on his elbows. "Yeah, now that you said that…"

"Come on."

Ryou headed towards the doorway, Bakura following him out into the hallway. Ryou forced him to sit at a table. Bakura watched the angel melt away temporarily as he went to the other side of the room.

* * *

Bakura curled up in the bed, nearly asleep, his stomach full. Ryou was sitting in the chair, a smile appearing on his lips. "…Bakura?"

"Hn?" Bakura grumbled, shutting his eyes.

"…You do know what tomorrow is, right?"

The demon didn't respond.

"…It's Christmas tomorrow."

Bakura's eyes snapped open, his heart freezing for a second. _Oh no. _"…Yep. I know," he mumbled, trying to hide his shock.

About an hour later, Ryou had fallen asleep, and Bakura was still awake. The angel had collapsed forward, his head on his arms, the upper half of his body on the bed, yet he was still sitting in the chair. Silently, Bakura crept out from under the covers, taking a brief moment to snatch up a blanket and drape it over Ryou before tiptoeing out of the room.

* * *

Ryou didn't awaken until roughly around lunch. He lifted his head, finding a heavy blanket covering his frame, and he was curled up, his head on the bed. He glanced about, looking at the bed, finding it empty. _Bakura?_

The angel stood, letting the blanket fall, and wandered out into the hallway. He searched through the rooms, asking people if they had seen the demon, using a description. No one knew about him.

Ryou finally gave up about an hour later. The angel drifted back into his room, sitting down in the chair, defeated. He wrapped the blanket about himself, staring at the bed, tears slowly welling up in his eyes.

* * *

Bakura opened the door to the room, finding it dark. He shut the door behind himself, shedding his coat, and let it fall to the floor.

"Ryou? Ryou, where are you?"

No answer, but he could hear a faint noise, seeing a small figure in the corner of the room.

The demon crept towards the sound, stopping abruptly at the sight of Ryou sitting in the corner, the blanket wrapped tightly about his trembling frame.

_Is he crying?_

"Ryou…Ryou, what's the matter? Are you hurt?"

Ryou shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

"…Y…You didn't even tell me you left…I…I thought…you went out and killed yourself or something…" Ryou finally looked up, large, brown eyes spilling tears. "D…Did you just…not want to spend the day with me or something…? Did I…do something wrong?"

"No…no, that's not it at all…" Bakura murmured, kneeling down beside him. "I just went out…"

"…Why?"

"To get you a present."

Ryou froze, looking up at him slowly, cocking his head to one side, as if not understanding. "…A…present?"

Bakura grinned. "Now, get up off the floor, go sit down on the bed, and I'll be right back, okay?"

Ryou did as he was told slowly. He had stopped crying, now looking a bit confused. The blanket was still wrapped about his shoulders.

Bakura reappeared a few minutes later, the black book tucked under his arm. He sat down on the bed, opposite of Ryou, opening the book to the familiar page.

"…Take the necklace off."

Confused, Ryou slipped it off as he was told, but still held onto it.

"I went out last night while you were sleeping. I had to find a shop that was pretty far away…" Bakura grinned widely. "I managed to get the text translated."

"…What does it do?"

"…Using the correct material…even your wishes can be fulfilled…" Bakura's smile grew. "And you already have what you need," he murmured, his gaze falling upon the necklace in the boy's hands.

"…Anything?"

"Well, except for a few things. I was warned that wishing for the dead to return, for things that are unrealistic…they don't come true…other than that…you can pretty much get anything you want."

Ryou smiled, his fingers tightening over the necklace in his hands. He could hear Bakura starting to speak in some language that he didn't know. Ryou just sat there, listening to the words. He shut his eyes, hearing Bakura clear his throat.

…_I want…for us to be able to live in happiness…and for us to finally be accepted for just who we are…_

* * *

Chapter 22: End.


	23. Another Situation & Confession

Oh no, the story is almost over. D: Other than that, I'm looking forward to writing the sequel once this one is finished. :D

NOTE: My other fics...well...I hate to say it, but I haven't worked on it in so long, I forgot basically all of the plot. D: So I've been thinking of rewriting them. More news on that to come.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 23: Another Situation & Confession

* * *

"You deserve it…whatever it is," Bakura murmured with a smile, watching the stone beginning to glow in Ryou's hands. Ryou's eyes widened in shock as the glow grew into a blinding light, a loud cry spilling from Ryou's lips as a force knocked him backwards.

The light died instantly.

Bakura lowered his forearm, which he had used to shield his eyes. Ryou's back had hit the frame of the bed from the force. His head was bowed, his fingers letting go of the stone. It fell with a soft noise onto the bed, glowing faintly.

Bakura left it there, gently pulling Ryou so that he was lying down, draping a blanket over him. Ryou's eyes looked up at him hazily, "B…B…"

His eyes drifted shut as he went unconscious, his head falling against the bed.

"…'Night," Bakura muttered, picking up the book and shutting it.

* * *

_He's been asleep all day…_

Bakura took the boy's shoulders, giving him a small shake. Ryou groaned, letting his eyes ease open.

"…Come on. You have to eat dinner at least…you have to build up your strength if you want to get better…"

"…I'm not hungry," Ryou muttered, looking away.

Bakura bit his lip, "But you have to eat, Ryou…"

The angel didn't answer. Bakura sighed and put him on his back, carrying him off into the hallway.

* * *

Ryou's fork fell to his plate with a clatter. "What?"

"You heard me. I've almost got enough to buy a place."

"That's great…" Ryou answered, a smile crossing his lips. His smile faded as Bakura went back to eating. Bakura's eyes rose slowly. "…What?"

"N…Nothing…but…you havesuch a huge appetite for someone so thin…"

"Humph…of course." Bakura's eyes narrowed a little. "Being so close to starving to death…not knowing the next time you'll be able to eat or how much time you have left to live…that does things to you, Ryou.

"I told you before…at my village, we had to live on each other. Most of us died because there weren't enough things to go around. Basically all of us were starving to death, not knowing how much longer we were going to live… Most of us couldn't afford to even buy things…we wound up stealing instead.

"We were basically dirt-poor, bone-thin…we were birds in cages. We couldn't leave the village…and even if we could, we wouldn't get far…our bodies were far too weakened. As a result…you learn to just eat as much as you can…even now, with all these wars going on, you don't know when you'll get another chance to eat…"

Ryou bit his lip, but said nothing.

* * *

There was silence.

Ryou was curled up in the bed, Bakura seated on the chair, a blanket about his shoulders. Ryou was already deep in slumber, breathing lightly through his dreams. Bakura blinked, letting his fingers trail over the stone that hung against Ryou's chest. "…You deserve it…and no matter what…I'll make sure it comes true…" Bakura whispered, removing his hand. Ryou moved slightly, his eyes easing open.

"…Oh…sorry…did I wake you?"

"No…" Ryou smiled slightly, rolling over onto his back. The albino let his eyes drift shut, talking in a whisper. "…I told him before…you aren't like the others…"

"I guess I'm not…"

"You're not…you…actually gave me a chance…" Ryou murmured, opening his eyes, which were glistening with tears. "…I don't want you to leave…please, Bakura…don't ever leave…"

Ryou's fingers curled about the fabric of the sheets, his eyes shutting.

"…I won't…" Bakura murmured, watching as Ryou started to cry. "Hey, don't start crying on me, now…"

Ryou shook his head, "S…Sorry…"

"It's okay…just get some sleep…"

* * *

"Bakura…Bakura, wake up…"

"Hnn…" Bakura opened his eyes slowly, near blinding light shot across his eyes, forcing him to squint. Ryou blocked out some of the light, the angel standing over him. "…Come on…"

Bakura blinked heavily, struggling into an upright position, propping himself up on his elbows. _Why am I so tired…? _He pulled the covers back, standing.

Ryou watched Bakura drag himself into the bathroom. The angel shrugged, starting to make the bed. Bakura came back roughly five minutes later, appearing only half-awake. His face was rather pale, his hair matted from sleep. He was stumbling rather than walking…

"…Bakura?"

"What?"

"…Is something wrong?"

"Just…tired."

Ryou bit his lip, watching Bakura practically stumble over to the door. "I'm going to go out for a walk. I'll be back in a while…"

"Bakura…are you sure? You seem…a bit…off, today."

"I'm…fine…" Bakura mumbled, swinging the door open. But as soon as he stepped through the doorway, the demon collapsed instantly with a muffled thud to the floor.

"Bakura!"

Ryou rushed over to the demon, helping sit up. "Are you okay?"

"…N…No…" He confessed, relaxing in Ryou's arms.

"What's wrong?" Ryou asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Bakura didn't answer, looking like he was about to pass out in the boy's arms.

Ryou bit his lip, letting his fingers brush over the demon's forehead, stopping instantly. "Bakura…are you sick?"

"I…don't think so…"

_Something's wrong._

Ryou stood, draping Bakura's arm across his shoulders and helping him towards the bed. The demon was leaning heavily on him, as if his legs couldn't do a thing to support him.

"…Does it hurt…?" Ryou asked quietly, hovering over Bakura, the demon lying down on the bed, his face paling further, beads of sweat starting to roll down his neck.

"…Y…Yeah…" Bakura muttered, shutting his eyes, his fingers curling about the blankets that he was lying down upon. "D…Don't worry about it…" He muttered, trying to get up. Ryou gently pushed him back down.

"You're not doing anything…there's obviously something wrong, and I don't want you to do to try to do something and worsen what's already wrong."

Bakura grinned slightly, "…You worry…too much…" His voice had died down into a whisper.

"I just…don't want anything bad to happen to you," Ryou murmured, his cheeks turning a slight pink.

"…You're a good kid, you know…" Bakura said quietly, staring up at the ceiling. "Your folks were lucky to have you…"

He fell right into unconsciousness.

Ryou bit his lip, his fingers once more brushing over his forehead. _He's burning up... But what's wrong with him?_

* * *

Ryou frowned, changing the cloth on the demon's forehead. Bakura was breathing heavily now, his chest heaving as he breathed, his face horribly pale. He was currently asleep.

Ryou turned around, about to leave from the bedside when he heard a voice.

"R…Ryou…"

Ryou quickly sat down on the edge of the bed, seeing Bakura now awake. "Hmm?"

"…I…I'm getting worse…aren't I…?"

Ryou bit his lip, and looked away.

"…D…Don't worry about me…okay? This is…supposed to be happening…"

"What do you mean?"

"While I was…at the shop…the owner…he said that before the wish was made, you had to say a spell. I did…but I added something…" The demon sighed deeply. "I added a part…that is supposed to speed the process up. The side-effects go to the one saying the spell…"

"Side-effects…?"

"It drains the owner…and takes their strength. They say that if the one that said the spell is trying to help make the wish come true, then their own energy is combined with everything else. They say…the more strength it takes…the faster the wish comes true…"

"But I don't want you to be in pain or weak like this… Why did you do that?"

"Because I want you to be happy, Ryou." The demon smiled weakly. "I want that wish of yours to come true, just for your happiness. I know that if you become happy, I probably will too…"

Tears started to swell in the angel's eyes. "B…Bakura…"

"Don't cry…" Bakura grinned wider. "And don't worry about me, all right? The…most this will go on for is only a few days…"

"B…But what if…it drains too much…? You'll…you'll die…"

"I said…don't worry about me…I won't die…"

* * *

"_I said…don't worry about me…I won't die…"_

Ryou bit his lip, tears in his eyes. Bakura's condition had only worsened since the day before. _If he dies…then what am I supposed to do? He can't die…HE CAN'T!_

_No. Calm down. He won't die. I have to believe in him… But why…is he only getting worse?_

Bakura was staring up at the ceiling, a thermometer in his mouth, which Ryou had forced. The demon pulled it out at the little noise, staring at the red numbers, before Ryou took it away from him.

_It's beginning to skyrocket…_

"…Ryou…?"

"Hmm?" Ryou replied, glancing at the demon. _He looks so different…so weak and tired…almost…innocent…_

"…I…I'm sorry I didn't tell…you…earlier…" He murmured, looking away.

"It's okay…"

Silence.

Bakura suddenly spoke in a quiet, almost hesitant voice, "…Can you get me a drink…?"

Ryou stood, going over to the sink, but froze as he heard coughing. Whirling around he found Bakura the source, the demon sitting upright, his hands cupped about his mouth.

"Are you okay?"

"N…No…" He muttered, coughing harder.

Ryou quickly went back over to the bed, his heart skipping a few beats at the sight of blood. Bakura was coughing the substance up, his pale face getting a slight tinge of red as he coughed.

He finally stopped, the red substance decorating his fingers.

"…Oh…"

Bakura fell backwards, Ryou grabbing him and laying him down gently, not to disturb his body.

…_I hope…he gets better soon…_

* * *

Chapter 23: End.


	24. A New Beginning

Thank you to those that are still reading and/or reviewing. It means a lot to me. :D This is the second to last chapter... After this is completed, I'm going to start on the sequel.

Other fics: I'm probably going to take them down pretty soon. I'm going to rewrite them, and then repost...

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 24: A New Beginning

* * *

"…Bakura?" Ryou asked in a quiet voice. The demon's eyes opened slightly, a small frown printed on his face.

"…Sorry…I was just seeing if you were asleep…"

Bakura's frown deepened. Ryou rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake through the late hours of the night. He yawned quietly, pulling the blanket tighter about is frame.

"…Ryou…you don't need to try and take care of me. I'm better than I was, so why don't you just rest?"

"No…No, I can't…"

Bakura blinked, seeing Ryou nearly about to fall asleep from his place on the chair. _I'm going to strengthen...but due to spending the nights taking care of me...Ryou is only to get weaker..._

* * *

Bakura awoke at about noon, finding Ryou still in a deep sleep. Standing up, he gently lifted Ryou from his place on the chair, setting him down on the bed and pulling the covers over his form.

He had enough strength to actually move around and stay awake. The only thing remaining was a fever and an occasional coughing spell. The demon glanced at the bed, seeing Ryou still asleep. _I guess I'll just let him rest for the day. He deserves it._

* * *

Ryou awoke with a start, finding himself on Bakura's back.

"'Morning."

"W-What's going on?"

"Well, I have enough energy to be doing things again. So I decided for us to go ahead and leave. You've been asleep for about…two days."

"_What_?"

"Calm down. Besides, you needed your rest. Now we're both back up on our feet. Oh, and while you were sleeping…I managed to find something."

"What do you mean?"

"You're about to find out."

Ryou peered over Bakura's shoulder, the demon walking uphill. He set Ryou down, taking him good arm, and leading him eastward, then coming to a stop. "What do you think?"

Ryou's heart nearly froze. "Oh…Bakura, it's so pretty…"

The two were standing opposite of a lake, the sunlight reflecting off of the water. Ryou crept forward from his spot, going up to the water's edge. Fish moved quickly away; he could actually see the bottom. Glancing about he noticed the area was green with grass, an occasional hill or two in the way.

"Look."

Ryou followed where Bakura pointed, seeing a house not too far away. "Come on!" Bakura said quickly, taking Ryou's arm and near dragging him towards the building.

"And it's all for you."

Ryou's mouth fell open as they reached the front door; Bakura opened it and gently pushed the angel inside. "Oh, and it has two stories."

Leading Ryou over to the kitchen he ripped apart the curtains, revealing a huge window in the middle of the wall. Through the glass was what appeared as nothing but dirt through Ryou's eyes.

"Good for gardening, eh? And then when the plants grow you'll be able to look at them through the glass…" Bakura stopped abruptly, seeing Ryou beginning to cry. "…Ryou…?"

"B…Bakura…you…didn't have to do all of this for me…" He whispered, smiling widely. "Thank you so much…"

Bakura nearly fell backwards, Ryou viciously hugging him, sobbing into the demon's chest. His face turned a slight pink, but he relaxed, and hugged the angel back. "You're welcome," he murmured, hearing Ryou crying through the silence.

* * *

"Ryou? Ryou, where are you?"

"Here!"

Following the sound, Bakura pulled back the curtains, revealing Ryou on his hands and knees. "What are you doing?"

"Planting. Do you want to help?"

The demon made his way outside, stooping down next to the angel. "Okay, I've already gotten the rows done. All we have to do is put the seeds in." Bakura's gaze followed whatever Ryou pointed to. "So, you have these to chose from. Which one do you want?"

Bakura stared at the little packages, and then lifted one up to his eyes level. "Potatoes?"

"Yep. What, don't tell me you haven't had those before either."

"I have…but I didn't know they were this small in a package…"

"It's because they haven't grown yet, silly."

Bakura did what Ryou did, like a child teaching an adult. A while later Ryou stood up, picking up the container of water. "And then all you have to do is water them. But you have to water them every day so they'll grow faster, and like us, if they don't get enough water, they'll die."

Bakura blinked from his place on the steps, drinking a glass of water. _It's not really that exciting to me. But, at least it makes Ryou happy..._

* * *

"What does that one look like to you?" Bakura asked, pointing up at the sky.

"…A sheep."

"No it doesn't. It looks more like a cat…"

"Sheep."

"Humph. Whatever."

A smile played across Ryou's lips. _I didn't think looking at clouds could actually have an excitement to it. Maybe it's because Bakura's with me…_

"And that one?"

"A rabbit."

"No it's not!"

"Is too!"

It was hours later, the two now on their backs, still staring up at the sky, which was now black and filled with stars.

"I don't know how you can tell them apart. They all look the same!"

Ryou smiled.

"Hey, Ryou…what do you think of this place? Do you like it?"

No answer.

"Ryou?"

The demon glanced to his right, seeing the angel already asleep. A small smile appeared on his face. _Figures, he fell asleep early. _His eyes widened a little as Ryou rolled over towards him, breathing lightly through his dreams.

* * *

"Bakura!"

"…Hn?" Bakura near groaned, snuggling deeper under the covers.

"Breakfast."

Bakura sat up, his hair tangled from sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up, near dragging himself towards the kitchen.

Ryou sat down opposite of him at the table, watching Bakura eat. "…Bakura?"

"Hnn?" He grumbled, not even looking up.

"Umm…d-do you know how to fish?"

The demon's dark eyes rose slowly. "…What of it?"

"…C-Can you…teach me?"

"If you want, yes…" The demon muttered, munching on a piece of toast.

"…Umm…Bakura?"

"…What?"

"…I-If…you don't have anything going on…w-would you…like to come with me today?"

"Eh? You mean take a walk or something?"

Ryou nodded silently, his cheeks a faint pink, as he stared at the table.

"…Sure."

* * *

Ryou smiled to himself, glancing to his right, seeing Bakura merely following him, his hands shoved in his pockets, his gaze skyward.

"Bakura, you might want to look at where you're walking…"

"Why, there's nothing here to-" The demon was cut short as he fell to the ground, landing upon his stomach. He threw a glare upwards as he sat up. "Why, you little… You tripped me!"

"I was just-"

"Come here!" Bakura yelled, trying to grab hold of Ryou's jeans. The angel jerked away, quickly running from the spot.

Ryou let out a cry as Bakura seized his shoulders, throwing him down, the angel landing upon his back, Bakura pinning him down.

Bakura smiled, seeing a slight tinge of fear in Ryou's eyes. "I'm just playing, Ryou. I wouldn't hurt you, you know that."

Ryou smiled slightly, pushing Bakura off of him. During the silence Bakura suddenly spoke "I bet I can beat you to the other side of the lake."

"You can not."

"Can too."

"Then prove it!" Ryou cried, already getting a head start.

"Hey!" Bakura called out, darting after him.

* * *

Ryou dropped to his knees, breathing beyond heavily. His heart was pounding in his chest. He glanced over, seeing Bakura on his back, the demon's chest heaving, beads of sweat rolling down his throat.

They had gone much farther than across the lake.

"I…told you…I could…beat you…" Bakura panted, his eyes raised skyward.

"It…was a close one, though…"

"No, it…wasn't…"

"Was too…"

"…Not…"

"…Too…"

Exhausted, Ryou fell forward onto the ground, not even bothering to roll over onto his back.

It wasn't long before they both passed out.

* * *

"No, Ryou. You hold it like _this."_

"Oh…"

Bakura leaned back, a pole in his hands. He grinned slightly at the sight of Ryou, the boy still struggling a bit to get the hang of things.

"When you feel something, you just yank on the pole. Then, if the fish is still fighting, you just let it wear itself out by using the reel."

Ryou nodded, setting his gaze once more on the water before them.

Bakura was staring out at the water, feeling something on his shoulder. Glancing to his right, he found the source Ryou, the angel's head resting on his shoulder. He looked like he was about to fall asleep.

"…'Night," Bakura murmured, Ryou's eyes drifting closed as exhaustion took him away.

* * *

Chapter 24: End.


	25. Our Happy Ending?

Awww. D: The final chapter...

Well, I really thank those that read/reviewed! I hope you guys enjoy the last chapter!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 25: Our Happy Ending?

* * *

Ryou smiled to himself, placing another plate on the kitchen table. He could hear the water running in the next room, where Bakura was. Stepping over to the window, he pulled the curtains back, smiling again at the sight of the plants beginning to grow.

"Bakura, hurry up!" Ryou called.

No answer.

Ryou drifted to the bathroom door, knocking on the door with his knuckles. No answer came from within.

Opening the door a crack, Ryou stopped. The sink was running, Bakura's head underneath the faucet, apparently washing his hair. He was wearing a pair of jeans, but no shirt.

Ryou bit his lip, about to leave as Bakura turned the water off, his eyes still shut. Wiping the water from his eyes he lifted his head a little, snatching up the towel that was on the counter, and started to dry off his hair. Lifting his head, he stopped as he found Ryou in the doorway.

"…Oh. How long have you been standing there…?"

"Not long," Ryou murmured, looking at the floor. "Sorry…"

"No, it's fine. I've been taking a long time, anyway…" He mumbled, still drying his hair off. Casting the towel to the floor, he snatched up a black shirt, slipping it on.

Bakura brushed past him, Ryou leading him to the kitchen. Bakura sat down, his head in his hands, elbows placed on the table while Ryou finished up.

Ryou sat down a few minutes later, opposite of Bakura. The demon instantly started eating.

Ryou spoke up a few minutes after. "…Umm…Bakura, I…was thinking…and…I was wondering if…if we could…umm…celebrate together…"

Bakura looked up, grinning slightly. "Of course."

* * *

Ryou stood, going over to one of the cabinets. "Well, earlier I went shopping… I bought some cake stuff."

Bakura perked up instantly. "Cake?"

Ryou smiled. "I knew I couldn't leave it on the counter…you'd probably eat it while I was looking, knowing you," he replied, setting the cake down on the table.

Bakura smirked, taking a knife and cutting it perfectly in half. Not even bothering to cut himself a piece he merely started munching on his half of the cake.

Ryou smiled to himself. _Well, at least he likes my cooking... It's going to be hard cooking for him though, considering how much he eats..._

* * *

Ryou's mouth fell open. He had gotten full a long time ago… The cake dish was empty.

"Man, Ryou. You can cook, I'll give you that…" Bakura muttered, leaning back in his chair.

"…You ate basically the whole cake…"

Bakura opened one eye. "What of it?"

"H…How can you possibly eat so much?"

"Eh, I don't know," Bakura muttered to himself. "Maybe it's because it was so good…I've had cake before, but nothing like that…" He stood up. "Now, come on. You said you wanted to celebrate, so I guess we should go ahead and start."

_I won't be surprised if he's up the whole night throwing up… _Ryou thought to himself as he followed Bakura out the door.

* * *

"I don't understand."

"You've never heard of fireworks?"

"No…I've never seen them before, or heard of them…"

"Oh. Well, it's easy…you just…" Ryou struck the match, grabbing Bakura's arm and quickly leading him away. "Now watch."

Bakura did so, scowling the entire time, but his expression softened slightly when the object exploded.

"…I like it."

"Good," Ryou said with a smile.

* * *

_December 31._

_I don't think I've ever been so happy, besides the time spent with Amane and Mum. It's as if…Bakura is actually restoring my happiness._

_I know they all say demons are heartless, cold-blooded, or that they'll kill you in an instant… But the only thing that those people proved was that they were wrong. Bakura isn't like that. He's…different from the others._

_I've already gotten my wish._

_I'm happy enough just being with him._

_I still can't help but wonder what the future holds. I mean, something is bound to happen eventually right?_

_And I still wonder if Malik is going to come back… And what'll happen if something happens to Bakura? Or if… No. Wow. I need to stop being so pessimistic…_

_I never knew Bakura had another side. An actual "human" side. I mean, when I met him…he just seemed really heavy-hearted. He was always angry and upset with the world, you know? To tell the truth, I never expected him to turn out like this…_

_I guess all he needed was a friend._

_You know, someone to be there for him, to comfort him, stuff like that. …Since he has no family, I guess I'm all he has. But I'm okay with that._

_He can be even…nice, if he wants to. I mean, the last time I got a present from anyone was the last holiday before Mum and Amane died… He even bought a house. Just for us two… It feels…exciting, actually._

_And I'm just so happy…_

_The plants are growing pretty well. I wonder if the corn will grow bigger than it used to when my family grew it…hopefully I won't be cursed to the whole, "Die at a certain height" thing._

_I guess Bakura and I…we're each other's family._

_The hardest thing: I really don't know how on Earth I'm supposed to be able to cook for Bakura. I mean he eats so MUCH! I really don't get it. I'm actually surprised his stomach doesn't burst or something…_

…_Oh well._

_I guess I'll find a way._

_Anyway, tonight, he said he had a surprise for me. I have to admit it, I'm actually pretty excited about that too…_

_Oh, I have to go. Bakura's calling me._

_-Ryou._

Dropping the pen, Ryou stood from his spot, near racing down the stairs. Bakura was waiting at the front door, already clad in his jacket, his hands in his pockets. Snagging his coat, Ryou slipped it on, before following Bakura outside.

* * *

"Oh…Bakura, thank you so much… I really enjoyed it…"

"I'm glad you did," Bakura replied, draping an arm about Ryou's shoulders, swinging open the front door. "Happy New Year, Ryou."

"Same to you," Ryou replied, smiling widely.

"…Ryou…umm…tomorrow…if you want…I thought we could go somewhere or something," Bakura mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Seriously?"

"If you want, I mean…"

"I'd love it…"

"Good." Bakura grinned, ruffling his hair, and climbing the steps to his bedroom. "See you in the morning."

"Good night," Ryou replied, shutting his own bedroom door behind himself.

Bakura sat down, picking up a pen.

_January 1._

_I took Ryou out for the New Year…he seemed so happy when I did…_

_It's kind of embarrassing…I mean, demons aren't supposed to have a care in their hearts about anyone except themselves._

…_Well…I guess Ryou is an exception. He's the only family I have. And he's just like me…all he needs is…a friend, I guess. All he needed was to know that someone cared. He wants a place where he'll just be accepted…_

_We've both had it rough…but…I guess we managed to find some space inside so that we could actually understand each other…_

_This emotion…what is called…? Happiness?_

_I'm still hoping that Ryou got his wish. After everything that happened, he deserves that…_

_I'm actually hoping that Malik or whatever his name is doesn't come back. I swear, if he tries something else…I might wind up killing him._

_Yeah, about Ryou…at first…he just seemed like one of those softies who couldn't fight…you know, like I was just looking at the surface. But I discovered that he doesn't hurt, because he's too nice to do so. He doesn't like to hurt others._

_Actually, our pasts seem a bit…similar, if you think about it, even though mine caused way more damage and whatnot…but basically, we felt the same hurt._

_However, there are a few things that are starting to bother me…about the future._

_My other side…what if…I hurt Ryou? What if something bad happens? Or-_

_No. Crap. There I go again, thinking of the worst._

_But I still can't help but wonder…_

_Okay, that's enough for one night. I'm tired…_

_-Bakura._

* * *

"Ryou, come on!"

"Coming!"

Bakura scowled, waiting outside. Ryou quickly ran out, clad in his old, bloodstained uniform, and Bakura was in his.

"Finally. Now, get a roller."

Ryou did as he was told, dipping it in the paint.

The two chatted as they painted, Bakura doing the top, Ryou doing the bottom. Occasionally, they would switch.

"A nice shade of gray. At least then they can't label it as demon or angel residents."

Bakura nodded silently, standing on tiptoe, trying to reach as high as he could, trying to paint.

"Bakura, you're going to-"

Ryou let out a yelp as Bakura lost his balance, falling right off his place on the ladder and landing right on top of Ryou, knocking over a can of paint in the process.

"-Fall…" Ryou finished with a sigh.

Bakura laughed nervously, near covered in gray, from when the paint can had fallen. He got off of Ryou, the angel staggering upright.

As they started to paint again, Bakura spoke up. "I still hope you get your wish…"

"I already have…" Ryou replied, smiling, but looking at the ground.

"I'm glad," Bakura answered with a grin, drawing an arm about Ryou's thin shoulders.

_I am happy now._

_Just because of what one person has done for me._

_And all I need for my wish to come true…is him, and to be able to stay here._

_He's restored my happiness. And I think I've restored his._

_All I want…is for us to stay here, forever, together._

-

_I guess I'm happy now._

_Just because of what that kid has done._

_He says he's gotten his wish…and I guess…just being with me has made him happy._

_I guess he's restored my happiness. And from what I've seen, I've restored his._

_I actually think I know the meaning of happiness now._

_And I'll make sure to have it so that both of us are happy._

The two looked at each other, Ryou smiling brightly, grabbing Bakura in a hug, his cheeks a light pink.

And the demon hugged him back.

_All we need to be happy is…_

_A friend. Someone who understands. Someone that looks out for you. Someone that will always be beside you. Someone who makes you happy._

_Each other._

* * *

Chapter 25: End.

_THE END._

Well peoples...it's over. I'm going to start on the sequel really soon, so be on the lookout for that. :D

Much love!

-Clouded-Days


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